Fate of Awakening Love
by Faery Goddyss
Summary: Vash returns with Knives. KMV (COMPLETE)
1. Crossing Time

Fate of Awakening Love 

Disclaimer: I don't own Trigun. Life is that cruel.

A/N: Alright then! This is my VERY first Trigun fic; in fact it's my first fic period! I've never been a writer in fact I have this knack for getting low grades in English, but I really love Trigun and although I liked the ending I wanted more! So as you can imagine this is my own little interpretation of what I would have liked to have happened if it had continued. Please be honest, how am I supposed to grow as a writer (assuming I go that path) if I don't get any CONSTRUCTIVE criticism.

Enough gabbing and on to the fic which happens to be K/M/V. Knives is probably going to be OOC but give me a break! From the anime you don't get too much into his personality. Well here goes!

Oh, and the ratings may go up.

-

She looked around, shading her eyes from the glare of the suns. So much had happened in only a few short weeks. Ever since the town hit the underground spring, life had changed for everyone. Soon after water entered their lives news began to spread as other towns came across the water they had all thought was gone forever. Life was much more pleasant. People were happier, more willing to live, more excepting of the dry desert planet they lived on. Even though they all knew the water was precious they couldn't help but throwing colossal water celebrations every few days.

Yes, life would have been perfect, if only he were here to celebrate along with everyone else. 'Where are you Vash?' She wondered of the nth time to herself. Meryl knew he'd return to her and Millie someday. She knew it in her heart. She just wanted to know when. It had already been weeks and if he didn't return soon enough she'd have to return to the Insurance Society. Watching him was her job and because he'd been gone so long she hadn't been able to send in a report. She knew her boss was getting tired of waiting and frankly so was she.

Sighing she headed back into the small little house the town had kindly let her and Millie stay in. She found Millie at the kitchen table eating one of her many cups of pudding.

Grudgingly she sat down next to her friend. "Millie, would you hand me one of those?"

"Sure thing Meryl!" Millie exclaimed excitedly. "Here you go." She said as she passed a pudding cup to the petite girl.

"Thanks." Meryl said as she opened the cup and began taking small mouthfuls of the creamy delectable. "Its another wonderful day. The towns getting ready to throw another water party."

"I know, I'm excited! There so much fun don't you think so?" Millie looked over at her best friend who did not seem to have heard her. "Don't worry Meryl, he'll come back soon. I know he will!"

The raven haired women snapped back to reality. "I don't doubt it Millie, I'm just curious as to what's taking so long. What do you suppose he's doing out there?" She asked, but the question wasn't particularly aimed at Millie as more as a thought out loud.

As Millie was about to respond a little auburn haired boy with hazel eyes ran into the house without knocking. "Miss Meryl! Miss Millie! That man, the one you came with! I can see him headed this way!" Both Meryl and Millie stood up discarding the half eaten pudding cups and ran outside along with the little boy.

The entire town it seemed had paused their excitement to watch as this man they knew as Vash the Stampede walk into their town looking tired yet determined, with a clearly unconscious body slung over his shoulder.

Both Millie and Meryl walked towards him. His face was solemn but as soon as he lifted his head his face broke into a smile. "Insurance Girls! Boy it's nice to see some familiar faces again!" He announced happily. He carefully put his brother on the ground.

'Vash'.Meryl thought. 'It's about time.but who is this man with you?'

"Mr. Vash!" Millie cried as she wrapped her arms around him. He returned her hug with an even bigger one and an even bigger and rather goofy grin. He soon let go of Millie and looked over at Meryl who stood cautiously behind Millie.

He smiled. "Hey Meryl."

"Vash." She responded with a slight nod. Though her heart was screaming to lunge at him in a huge hug similar to Millie's her brain got the better of her and told her to remain restrained. She put her hands on her hips. "Now what has been taking you so." She didn't get to finish her sentence before Vash pulled her in a hug, swinging her around tightly.

This time her anger got the better of her as she knocked him right in the head.

"Owie!" He whined. "I've been gone for weeks and this is my welcome?!"

"That's right! You were gone for weeks! We've heard nothing of you Vash. Not even the usual reports of you merely passing through a town!" In all her anger she never thought to mention the muscular, oddly familiar looking body on the ground until Millie pointed it out.

"Mr. Vaash who is that?" She asked pointing at his brother.

"Oh yeah! Girls this is my brother, Millions Knives!"

He watched as both Meryl's and Millie's eyes widened. "You brought that psychopath here!" Meryl yelled and suddenly became aware that the townspeople were still watching and listening with curious eyes and ears. "Let's go inside to talk about this."

"Meryl, you and Vash go ahead, I have to get to work." Millie pointed out. The smaller girl nodded.

"That's right Millie. Have a good shift."

"I will!" She said as she started walking backwards waving. "Bye Mr. Vash! It's nice to have you back! I'll see you tonight and we can all catch up!"

"Bye Millie!" Vash waved back. He then bent down to pick up Knives who stirred to Meryl's alarm but did not awaken. Together in silence they walked into the small house. Though both Meryl and Millie were still representatives of the Bernadelli Insurance Society they both chose to pick up part time jobs on the side as they waited for Vash's return. That and they believed it was only right to pay rent for staying in the towns little house.

"You wouldn't guess it from the outside but this small house has three bedrooms." Meryl stated as they walked to one of the back bedrooms where Vash, with care, placed Knives on the bed.

She looked at Knives. "Millie and I can share a room so that your brother can have his own while he rehabilitates." She looked up at him. "That is what you want right? For him to get better?" He nodded.

"I appreciate this Meryl. I can tell you'd rather not have him here."

"He's better off here where you can keep an eye on him then anywhere else." She bit her lip. "He isn't really THE Knives? The one who made you destroy July and."

Vash cut her off. "Yes. But things can be different now." Meryl looked over at Knives with disbelief.

'A man can not go from wanting to end all humanity to turning over a new leaf in such short time. It's just not possible.' She thought to herself. "Well let's let him rest." She said this dismissively as if she didn't care if they left the room or not, but inside she wanted out. Now that Vash had confirmed who he was she didn't want to be near him.

Had they left a split second later they would have noticed the light blue eyes of Millions Knives flicker open.

-

As they left him alone and sat in the living room Meryl realized how awkward it was to have him around without Millie or Wolfwood. Then she noticed something.

"Where's your infamous red coat?" She asked curiously.

"I don't need it anymore. So I left it in the desert."

She was astonished, that red coat had so much meaning to Vash. "But why? What happened out there? Why is your brother in such a bad state?"

"We just got into a little fight. I got hurt too, that's why I didn't come back right away. I needed to heal first." He stood. "Do you have any donuts? I'm REALLY hungry!" Meryl shook her head. Vash obviously did not want to talk about what happened between his brother and him in the desert. He pouted at the thought of no donuts but then he broke in a smile.

"Well then I'll just go buy some now! You can look after Knives for me while I'm gone right?"

"WHAT?!" Meryl yelled jumping up.

"It's okay Meryl. He's not going to wake up. Even if he did he won't try anything on you, he'll be in too much pain and he's not good with pain. So watch him for me and I'll be back as soon as I can!" With that, bubbling in his thoughts of eating his delicious donuts he left Meryl alone with his beyond over the line psychotic brother.

-

"Humans." Knives spat out. He was fully awake now and fully aware of the seething pain coming from all over his body. 'He has the nerve to almost kill me and then he brings me HERE.a place infested in the stench and sound of human vermin. When I'm well enough.' He stopped his thought as he heard footsteps coming in the direction of his room.

He listened as the door knob slowly turned and watched from his peripheral vision as a short raven haired woman with light grey eyes peeked in his room. Right away, upon seeing him awake staring at the ceiling her body tensed. He felt that and smiled inwardly. She was afraid. 'As she should be.' He thought to himself. But instead of leaving she approached him.

"You're awake. Looks like your half wit brother was wrong." She stated plainly. 'So she knows Vash. Not surprising, he's always mooning over the spiders.' Knives thought to him self disgusted with her presence.

Meryl shifted. Wondering what was going on in that brain of his. "Do you want something to eat while you wait for Vash?"

He finally turned his head to get a good look at the woman. The look in his eyes was calm but threatening. But he did not respond to her question. She put her hands on her hips annoyed. Sure she was a little frightened by the man but he was an injured man and she could tell by his body language that it hurt him.

"I'll take your threatening silence as a yes. Most people are hungry after sleeping. I'll be right back with some soup. After you eat I can re- bandage your wounds. Knowing Vash you're probably wearing the same dressings from weeks ago."

"I do not want your kind touching me." He said simply.

Meryl jumped at the sound of his voice. It wasn't at all as she had expected. Not dripping with the hate for humans she had imagined. It was unruffled.

"Tell someone who cares. Vash for some reason wants you to get healthy again so I plan to help him in any way I can. I'll be back with your soup momentarily." She turned on her heel and left his room.

'Hm.' He thought. 'A spirited spider. I'll crush that as soon as I'm better. But you shall only be the beginning. When all these bullet holes are healed the first one to go will be you, and then that blonde idiot who did this to me.'

-

Vash left the store smiling and humming the tune that was his and Rem's favorite song. He had bought 5 dozen donuts. He figured Meryl wouldn't be too happy about that but he got some he thought even she would like. It was great to be back among the girls. He had not realized how much he would miss them. Especially her.'Meryl' he thought. He had seen her as a rebirth of Rem, but she was not Rem, she was her own person.

He found himself thinking about Meryl more often. Her smile, her laugh even her face when she got angry or frustrated with him. He was happy just to be near her. The more he thought about her the more he realized he was foolish to have left her alone with his brother. Unconscious or not Knives was not a plant to leave with humans. He began to speed his pace down the dirt road. He had to get back to Meryl.

-

Meryl didn't allow her mind to wander about all the people Knives had killed. What good would this type of worrying do? Besides in his current condition he was a threat to no one. She took his hot soup up to his room where she stopped at the door to take a deep breath and knocked.

She heard nothing and took this as a sign to enter. Carefully balancing the hot bowl in one hand she opened the door and walked into the room where she put the bowl down on the side table. Glancing over at Knives she found he wasn't even looking at her but out the window, looking at some children who were having a water balloon fight.

'Probably thinking about how to kill those innocent children.' She thought in disgust.

"Actually the thought hadn't crossed my mind but it's not such a bad idea." He said with an eerie edge of hate in his voice.

"You read my mind?!" She asked in aghast.

"The blonde peace loving idiot didn't tell you? I can do that." He sneered. Meryl shook her head.

".anyway here's your soup, it's my own recipe." She watched as Knives gave it a look of pure repulsion. "You don't have to eat it if you're not hungry. I can put it in the fridge and save it for later."

"Don't bother. Just throw that crap away. I'm not even hungry spider. No one asked you to make this pathetic meal." As he said this his stomach gave away his lie and rumbled at the smell of the soup.

Meryl smirked. She watched as he continued to eye the substance in the bowl. "I get it, you can't feed yourself. I don't know why I did not see that before."

"I can feed myself fine!" He barked as Meryl reached for the spoon giving her a hard glare.

She glared back. "Fine then, I'll just stay here until you finish eating!"

Wanting nothing more for this inferior to leave him be, Knives attempted to lift his arm to the bowl but shot it back down to his side as the throbbing pain in his arm reached its climax. He bit his lip to keep from howling in agony.

"As I thought, you can't even lift an arm." She picked up the cooling bowl with one hand, placed the spoon in the soup, and brought the spoon to his lips. Which were pressed tightly together in a frown and menacing glare.

Sighing in frustration she put the spoon back in the bowl and lowered it to her lap. "You have to eat sometime." He said nothing. "Very well Knives, don't eat. Starve to death and do mankind that one glorious favor."

At the thought of helping humans he averted his eyes back out the window and opened his mouth, tasting the hot soup Meryl gently fed to him. 'Its actually.good.' He thought to himself.

Soon enough Knives was fed and Meryl got up to get the bandages. Staring at him she knew this was going to be difficult. It was enough to let her feed him but to have to touch him and clean his wounds to give him fresh dressings.that was another story.

He too seemed to see this dilemma. "Well get to it!" He snarled. He didn't want her touching him, and yet he could feel he was caked in his own blood and the feeling nauseated him.

Reddening more than she thought was humanly possible she began to help Knives strip off his shirt and his pants, leaving him in nothing more than his undergarments. While helping him out of his clothes she heard the gasps of pain that escaped his mouth and she tried to be as careful as she could.

When all his necessary clothes were off she got some soap and warm water and began cleaning off the dried blood and fresh blood that covered his body. It was all so awkward she wanted to make conversation to steer her thoughts away from his perfect figure but every time she brought up something he ignored her and didn't respond. So they ended up in compete silence.

As she leaned over him to clean his other side she dropped her cloth on the floor. "Damn." She muttered to herself and leaned further over Knives to reach for it. When she had finally gotten a hold of it, she became aware of the interesting position she was in. She was looking directly into Knives face and not even he could avoid her eyes as they were so close. Meryl's face turned a crimson red while Knives face remained unemotional.

"Uh, sorry." She murmured, and yet didn't make an attempt to move.

"Get off me human." Knives finally spoke out.

"I said I was sorry! No need t be so rude!" She shot back.

Soon as she was about to comply to Knives command, his door swung open loudly and both she and Knives turned to see Vash's arms loaded with a bag of donuts. Upon looking at Meryl and Knives he dropped his bag with a look of utter disbelief.

-

Author- ::Jumps behind her beloved Knives:: Ugh, I realize it's not that great but don't throw tomatoes! I tried my best! It's my first measly attempt at a fan fic!

Knives- Don't hide behind me you inferior human spider!

A/N- ::Puts a muzzle on Knives:: Now, now Knives let's be nice. Well, please read and review. Tell me whether I should continue or throw in the towel and never hurt your eyes with writing again.

Yours truly,  
Faery Goddyss


	2. I Am

Fate of Awakening Love 

Disclaimer: I don't own Trigun. Life is that cruel.

A/N: I can hardly believe I'm back for a second chapter. The reviews are golden! Thank you to my beautiful reviewers! It's much appreciated! Someone emailed me (sorry I forgot who) and asked me where I thought this fic would lead. Hmmm..good question and the answer is I don't have a clue. I'm basically just making stuff up as I go along. Like you, the reader, I have no idea what's going to happen next for the characters of Trigun.

I wanted to respond to the reviews I got in the last chapter. I probably will not be doing this for every chapter but I'm in the mood.

Now on to the fic! Hope you all enjoy this next installment!

-

'What's going on?' was Vash's first thought as he opened Knives bedroom door and stumbled upon the position he and Meryl were in. He had come back to the small house promptly after realizing his mistake of leaving his brother with a human. As soon as he walked in the room and dropped his bag of donuts he watched as Meryl stood up slowly.

"Your back." She said simply.

Vash felt his heart thump hard against his chest and he bent down to pick up the boxes of donuts he had dropped. Sub consciously he hoped they weren't ruined in any way but his mind was more focused on the important matter that lay before him.

"Yea, uh did I interrupt something?" He asked eyeing both Meryl and Knives.

"Don't be a damned idiot!" Knives threw out. "The little spider was merely cleaning the wounds I wouldn't have, had you not shot me again! And the very thought that you were suggesting the idea that I and this.this inferior being, were doing any of the sort of things I see your mind whirling with, is insulting and absurd."

Hearing Knives explanation, Vash immediately perked up. 'It is absurd. Knives would never involve himself with humans.' Meryl interrupted his thoughts.

"Let's get one thing straight Knives. If you're going to be in MY house eating MY food and laying in MY bed you're going to stop addressing me as a spider. I have a name." She announced firmly.

"Humph," Knives scoffed dismissively. "I'll call you what I like, for that's what you are."

At that degrading remark Meryl couldn't help, picking up the bowl of now cold water she was using to clean Knives wounds, and dumping the entire contents onto him. He gasped at the coldness of the water and Vash widened his eyes and began to retreat out of the room. 'No point getting caught in the crossfire.' He noted to himself and left for the kitchen.

"You vermin!" Knives yelled loudly.

"If you're going to treat me as an inferior, I'll treat you as one too. And you can forget about me helping you with anything until you apologize!" She growled back just as loud and turned to leave.

"I don't need your help! I'm fine on my own!" He yelled after her and tried to lift himself up only to shudder back down in a laying position. He didn't really expect to feel remotely better; he just wanted to prove he was capable without Meryl's help. In which he failed miserably.

-

Fuming, Meryl slammed herself down on a chair across from Vash who was eating a glazed donut.

"Would you like one?" He asked kindly.

"No." She said giving him a look.

"He really isn't that bad Meryl. Knives just." Vash trailed off.

"Knives, Knives just what?" Meryl prodded him on. Vash sighed and shook his head. "I'd suggest you finish cleaning him up, because I'm not going to do it." She continued. Vash nodded and stood. He figured in the mood she was in it was best just to go along with everything she said.

-

As Knives watched Meryl leave his room he couldn't help but be intrigued. 'Strange human that one is. She ought to be afraid of what I'll do to her after that little stunt and yet, I don't smell her fear. I'll have to toy with her more, I can see that will be the best way to cause Vash true eternal pain.'

Just as soon as he finished that thought Vash walked in. "How are you doing Knives?" He asked smiling.

"Take a guess dear brother." Knives responded enraged. "Tell me, why did you bring me here to this town infested in human pests, and what exactly did you plan to do with me? I won't be in this condition forever."

Vash rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Right, well I haven't actually thought that far ahead. As for why I brought you here, you're family. Besides Rem told me to take care of you, and that's what I plan to do."

"That foolish women, it's her fault you're so pathetic." Vash only grinned at Knives insult.

"So you've told me in many different ways. Anyway it's about time I clean the rest of you up from where Meryl left off. I'll get some more water and a towel so you can dry off from Meryl's rage. I suppose we'll need to change your sheets too." Laughing Vash stood up to get what he would need to clean the rest of his brother and change the bedding.

Knives sniffed the air. "What's that smell?"

"Huh?" Vash asked only half listening. "Oh, probably something Meryl is making."

"It does not smell like food. Can you not smell that? Its faint but its there."

"I don't smell anything." Vash dipped a cloth in the bowl of water and pressed it against Knives wounds. The moment the cloth hit Knives body he screamed in pain and clutched his side with his arm, which only caused more pain.

"Idiot! Get the hell way from me! What are you trying to do to? Burn me?!"

Vash cocked his head to the side. "What are you talking about? Was it this painful when Meryl did it?"

"No!"

"That's weird." He picked up a brown bottle from the floor where he had put it. "She did get it from this bottle right?"

"Bottle?! No fool, she used ordinary tap water!"

"Oh. Oops, I didn't read the label, its peroxide." Vash watched as his brother's face went from pain to solemn anger. "I guess the faint aroma of the peroxide is what you sniffed in the air."

"The human." Knives spat out. "Get her. Now."

"But I thought you didn't like Meryl."

"GET HER!"

"Alright, jeez." Vash stood and left Knives to go retrieve Meryl. "I think my brother prefers you than I."

"Not possible." Meryl said distractedly. Now that Vash was back she had begun writing a letter to her boss to inform him that she and Millie's job would commence once more. "He doesn't care much for me."

"That may be true but when it comes to nursing him back to health, I'd say he hates me more. I kind of started to clean him with peroxide. He didn't like that much."

Meryl looked up from her typing with an amused look. "How funny." Her smile dropped to a frown. "Is he going to apologize?" Vash shrugged. Meryl heaved a sigh a leaned back in her chair. "I hide it, but he scares me Vash. He's too confident for someone in that condition."

"Oh, I wouldn't worry." Vash said as he grabbed another donut and started munching on it.

"Didn't you tell me earlier today, I shouldn't worry of him waking up? You were wrong about that so you're probably wrong about this."

That hurt him a bit and right away she could tell. "Vash, I didn't mean for it to sound like." her sentence went uncompleted as she started to fall from leaning too far in her chair. Luckily with Vash's quick reflexes he caught a hold of the chair and Meryl before they both hit the ground.

He carefully placed her and the chair back on the level ground. From the quick scare of nearly falling her heart raced a little.

"Are you okay Meryl?" He asked concerned.

"Yes, I'm fine. I'm just glad you caught me." She replied. 'Did I hear a hint of concern?' Her heart asked. 'Of course you did. That's who he is.' Her brain told her.

"I wouldn't have let you fall Meryl. I wouldn't want you to get hurt." He said quietly.

Meryl looked up at his blushing face as she felt her own face burning. It had been a long time since she was able to gaze into the aqua whirl pools that were Vash's eyes. Secretly, they had always left her speechless and this time was no exception.

"Meryl?" He questioned quietly. Looking at her he saw that her beautiful light grey eyes were glazed over.

She didn't know what was coming over her. Maybe it was his eyes, maybe it was the fact that he was so close but she found herself standing up to embrace him. Without hesitation he embraced her back. It felt good to be holding her. 'This is how is should be.' He realized. 'This is how it ought to be forever.'

With a sudden jolt Vash sensed Knives invading his personal thoughts with a chuckle. 'Don't get too attached to her brother. Humans are weak, you should know this. They eventually die, she will be no exception. I'll make sure of that personally.'

Vash clutched Meryl with extra force. 'Don't you hurt her Knives.'

'I can't move a muscle so I don't plan to.at the moment.'

"Vash?" Meryl asked worriedly. She noticed he was hugging her harder in a more protective way.

Vash loosened his grip around the small framed woman and gave her a smile. "It's nothing Meryl. You know, I think I'll just take care of Knives." Meryl slid herself out of Vash's hold.

"If you truly want him to get better, you'll let me take care of him. Moreover he may want to apologize."

"I don't think you should go near him any longer."

"Why not? I'm a little scared, yes, but he can't do anything to me." She told him confidently.

'Want to speed up the process; I'm still resting in a soaking wet bed thanks to you!" Knives mentally told her.

"Stay out of my thoughts Knives!" She yelled in the direction of his room. She turned back to face Vash. "Why don't you go to the hotel to check on Millie? She works as the front receptionist. And here" She walked over to the fridge and pulled out a paper bag. "She'll be working late into the night and she left her dinner so there's an excuse to swing by."

Vash regrettably took the bag from Meryl. "I don't want to leave you alone with him." He firmly told her.

"I'll be FINE Vash. Honestly. If he tries anything." She held up one of her small derringers. "But he won't because he's incapable for the time being."

Against his better judgment Vash nodded and took the paper bag from Meryl and walked towards the front door.

"Oh and Vash?" Meryl asked and he turned around to face her. She shifted uncomfortably. "I just want you to know that.I did miss you, and I'm glad your back."

He grinned. "Thanks Meryl, I missed you too.and Millie." Having said that he turned and left through the front door.

Meryl leaned against the wall and sighed. 'Me AND Millie. Of course.'

Meryl could hardly lie to herself anymore. She really did care for Vash. 'Maybe, just maybe I even.' She stopped herself in mid thought. 'No Meryl.' She told herself. 'For one its not good to mix work with pleasure and two the 'L' word is not meant to be thrown around casually.Well I'd better get back to Knives before he throws a fit.'

-

"Knives?!" She exclaimed with a great shock upon seeing him as she entered his room. "How were you able to sit yourself up?" He smirked.

"I am a superior being. A few bullet holes won't stop me for long. I imagine I am nearly healed."

"Oh yeah?" She asked walking towards him with a sly smile on her face.

"What is that look for?"

Meryl reached out and poked his side. She watched as he double over breathing hard in pain but not allowing himself to make a sound.

"You treacherous beast!"

"You're not fooling anyone Knives. I apologize for poking your side, but it proved a point that no one not even a "superior being" can heal instantly from the extensive deep injuries that you have."

He muttered something she couldn't hear, but instead of pushing him to speak up she let it slid.

"What are you standing there for?! Are you going to help me or not?" He asked menacingly.

"Depends, are you going to apologize for your earlier comment directed towards me?"

"I wouldn't count on it." He said

"That's fine Knives. I'm sure Vash won't mind helping you get better."

Knives cringed at the thought. 'I don't care. I will not apologize to someone who is beneath me.' He thought to himself. "I'm sure my idiot brother will do fine given a second chance." He told her a loud.

Meryl sighed. "Unbelievable, all you would have to do is say you're sorry. But suit yourself. Vash and Millie will care for you."

"Millie? Don't tell me there is another piece of human trash here and that you expect me to let her get near me? I can barely stand your presence."

"I'm sorry you feel that way Knives, but I wouldn't put the burden of taking care of you on Vash or Millie alone." Now waiting to hear a response Meryl left the room.

-

Two weeks had past since Vash had retuned with Knives and still Knives refused to apologize to Meryl and because of his stubbornness he was forced to endure Vash's painful healing methods and Millie's constant cheerfulness. Something he loathed.

"Don't you ever shut up woman?!" He barked at her one day while she was replacing his bandage around his leg and talking about her family at the same time. "I could care less about your pathetic human family!"

"Gee, Mr. Knives, I guess I do talk about my family a lot, but they all mean so much to me. My big, big sister always said." Knives groaned as he tried to tune her out.

'This girl is as annoying as my own half wit brother.' He thought.

-

Between Millie and Vash, Meryl had assumed that he'd be restored to health in no time, but he wasn't. The fact was the two of them were delaying his healing. Not on purpose but because Vash occasionally dropped things on Knives, and without thinking he still put peroxide on all his open wounds.

Millie usually got caught up in talking to Knives, though it was one- sided because he never talked back, that she would normally bandage his whole body together so he resembled something close to a mummy.

He always protested, but she was forever too involved in telling him her tales about her family that she didn't pay any attention to his protest. Walking by his room, Meryl would see once in awhile the damage Millie was doing to him but she only covered her mouth to keep from laughing and continued on her way.

One day when Vash was looking over Knives lack of progression he dropped a half eaten donut in his face. This, for Knives, was the very last straw.

'You! Get in here!' He mentally yelled to Meryl, who at that moment was writing a small report to send to her boss. Vash accidentally set the town's library on fire. How that happened she still didn't understand and Vash wasn't open to talking about it.

Meryl walked into Knives rooms arms folded with a displeased look on her face. "That's NOT how you ask people to come in a room." She told him.

Knives ignored her comment and looked at his brother. "Vash get out, I want to talk to her, and take this damn thing with you!" He yelled tossing the donut out the door.

"Hey!" Vash protested. "That was a powdered one, and I said I was sorry for dropping it on your face."

"Just get out!" Knives continued to yell his anger starting to boil.

Vash gave Knives and Meryl a queer look but he left the room, leaving the door open.

"What did you want Knives?" She asked annoyed.

'Do I, a superior being, want to apologize to such a creature?' He thought and suddenly flashes of Millie's and Vash's attempts to care for him ran threw his mind. 'Yes, I do.' He confirmed to himself.

He took a deep breath and exhaled. "I wanted to apologize." He said calmly looking away from her and out his window. He wanted to say it in a way that would show her he was still in control.

"Apology accepted." He heard her say. He turned to look back at her and saw a smile on her face. "Let me clean off your face, you have powered donut all over you."

"Wait, that's it? You're not going to gloat about me apologizing?"

"Not today."

-

Vash looked and watched silently as Meryl took care of his brother.

'Now that Meryl's gone back to taking care of Knives she'll probably be spending a lot of time by his side.' He thought miserably.

'Could you not think so loud? Your whiny complaints give me a headache.' Knives mentally told him. 'And as for the woman, I see you're rather attached to her Vash. Don't worry brother; I'll take good care of her for you. Jealousy over a human isn't fitting for you.'

'Why would I be jealous of you Knives? She doesn't even like you, and I know you don't like her.'

'How do you know I don't like her? I wouldn't make such assumptions. As for her not liking me, she is choosing to take care of me over spending time with you isn't she?' He smirked.

"What are you smirking about?" Meryl asked wrapping his shoulder.

"Oh nothing." He said looking behind her at Vash. "I just had the most interesting thoughts."

-

A/N: Not the best way to end a chapter but at least chap. 2 of Fate of Awakening Love is over! That was really hard. I didn't know how to start off from the cliff hanger I left myself to deal with in the last chapter. I'm never leaving off in a cliff hanger again.

Knives: She says this now.

Author: ::causally hits him on the head and knocks him unconscious:: Anyway I kind of think this is one of those chapters that stories could do without but.I already wrote it so oh well! I guarantee there was a small reason for writing such a long chapter about all that though.

For those of you who are into the V/M fluff whatever's, the next chapter will have lots, okay maybe not lots, but enough of it!

Please read and review. And remember CONSTRUCTIVE criticism is always appreciated. If you just say 'this sucks' you're not helping me!

Yours truly,  
F. Goddyss

* * *

Tempest Strife- I will defiantly be using Knives ability of telekinesis more but not too often, and Vash will eventually tell Meryl how he feels but I never did like pouncing love so it'll probably be a slow process. Sorry.

AnonymousTrigunOtaku- Thank you for pointing out the errors, unfortunately because I'm bad at grammar and punctuation it can't be fixed! ( But I will try harder to look for the mistakes.

SilverGunz- Thanks for the super positive feedback! So here's another chapter!

JustaTrigunfan- Did you really think it was cliff hanger? I suppose it was a little, any who I'm glad you liked the first chapter.

Arika- Don't unleash the flames! I thank you very much for being my first reviewer! Power to ya!


	3. Song of Truth

Fate of Awakening Love  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Trigun. Life is that cruel.  
  
A/N: Aww, ::bows down to reviewers:: Thanks so much for reading and being so nice! I haven't gotten a single 'this blows' sort of comment. Not responding to reviews in this chapter but I did want to respond to Meryl/Knives4ever - I agree that there are too few K/M stories. As for making this one a story of that sort-  
  
Uh, I don't know. I don't know what I want to do with this yet. ::curses self for creating an obvious future love triangle:: Maybe I'll just kill off Meryl so no one gets her-  
  
KIDDING!! And yet maybe I'm not, hmm.  
  
Anyway, when I started writing a certain part of this chapter I was listening to Dearest by Ayumi Hamasaki, which is one of the ending theme songs for Inu Yasha, and if you've never heard it, its really soft and pretty, also kind of sad, but anyway it always makes me want to write fluffy/ heated moments as tribute to the mood of the song, and behold that's where the fluff/ heat from this fic started! Now on to the fic!  
  
-  
  
'And so it begins.' Knives thought to himself. He wasn't afraid of Vash overhearing his thoughts since Vash would never invade someone else's personal thoughts without permission.  
  
"Brother." He said out loud, causing Meryl to turn around from bandaging him to look over at Vash who was leaning against the door frame.  
  
"Vash, good, come back in here please." Meryl said.  
  
Vash walked in carefully, eyeing his brother who made no eye contact with him.  
  
"What is it Meryl?" He asked.  
  
"I want you to watch how I fix Knives wounds so you'll be able to do it, and do it well, then you're going to have to show Millie."  
  
Knives tensed. "I thought you were going to care for me. I don't trust this blonde haired buffoon."  
  
Meryl sighed annoyed. "That may be Knives, but have you forgotten that I work in the mornings from 8:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.? I can't stay and take care of you all day, so Vash and Millie will have to."  
  
Knives shuddered at the thought.  
  
At this very moment there was a knock on the front door and Meryl went to go answer it.  
  
-  
  
"Mr. Mayor! Um, what do I owe you for this visit?" Meryl asked opening the door to reveal a short stocky man in a suit.  
  
"I just came to discuss the terms of the library incident Miss Meryl."  
  
"Yes, the Bernadelli Insurance Society will be paying for the full restoration of the library as you know."  
  
"And that's wonderful news Miss Meryl; unfortunately, insurance matters are not what brought me here. You see, the town had a small meeting the other day and even with the dry days behind us people are still very frightened at the thought that Vash the Stampede is in our town."  
  
"The fire was a complete accident Mr. Mayor! And absolutely no one got hurt, badly. And if it wasn't for Vash, half those people never would have gotten out of that burning building."  
  
"I know Miss Meryl, but if it wasn't for Vash those people would not have been in danger. It's already been decided that the Humanoid Typhoon has no reason to be here and therefore must leave. He has two days to evacuate. Yourself, Miss Millie, and the poor young man the Typhoon no doubt shot, are welcomed to stay of course, we're not forcing you three out, just Vash."  
  
"But where will he go?!"  
  
"Frankly, we don't care, as long as it's anywhere but here. I'm sorry to do this, but you too will be safer with such a man gone. I must get back to the office, there's much to be done. Another water celebration is tonight, be sure to come and remember he only has two days to leave. Goodbye then." The mayor left closing the door behind him.  
  
Meryl slumped down on one of the worn pieces of furniture in the living room and sighed.  
  
-  
  
"You hear that Vash? No matter what you do or how many spiders you save they will still reject you. They hate you and they fear you." Knives calmly relayed to his brother.  
  
Vash didn't say anything regarding that comment.  
  
"You understand what this means don't you? While you're getting kicked out of this dirt hole town, I'll be staying here."  
  
Vash still said nothing.  
  
'With Meryl.' He told him mentally. At this Vash turned and stared right in his brother's eyes.  
  
"Why are you doing this Knives? You don't like humans, and you don't like Meryl. Admit it."  
  
'I'll admit nothing. As for why I'm doing this, well, it's causing you pain right? And ever since you shot me, I've resorted to accepting help from humans. It's degrading Vash and you will not be forgiven. I'll take and destroy everything that's special to you and crush it until its no more and until I've caused you the eternal pain I so long for you to endure.' Knives told Vash mentally, not wanting Meryl to hear any of what he just said.  
  
Vash stared at his brother in disbelief. 'He won't change.' He thought, not caring if Knives listened in or not. 'He won't even try to change.'  
  
"I'm not going to give up on you Knives. I'll save you. Someday you'll see the song of truth and you'll realize what you're doing is not the correct way to live."  
  
"Don't give me that Rem bullshit! She died in vain. Trying to save her race that I will one day destroy."  
  
Vash was about to point out something when they heard Meryl's footsteps returning to the room.  
  
"I imagine you heard all that?" She asked looking at Vash who nodded.  
  
"I just don't know how were going to do it." She continued.  
  
"Were?" Vash asked curiously.  
  
"Well yes, obviously. It's Millie's and my job to keep an eye on you, so no matter what happens we have to go where you go. You know that. But the thing is I can't imagine carrying Knives around in his condition."  
  
"Then the only thing to do is for you and the other human to split up. One will go with Vash the other will stay with me. That is until I get better." Knives suggested looking straight at Vash.  
  
Meryl frowned. "I guess that's an idea. I'll ask Millie what she thinks of it."  
  
"Who would go with who Meryl?" Vash asked quietly.  
  
'Vash.' Meryl thought. 'But Knives won't except help from Millie, and I can't guarantee that she won't delay his healing progress like she's done before.'  
  
"You should stay with Knives, Meryl. Millie would probably unintentionally kill him the way she gets distracted talking about her family." Vash interrupted her thoughts.  
  
She looked up at him.  
  
"Besides, it's my own fault, for accidentally setting fire to the library. Had I not done that the town probably wouldn't have taken any more notice in me."  
  
"It's not at all your fault brother; you can hardly help the fact that you're a natural disaster. They gave you two days to leave, let's discuss this in the morning. I'd like to rest now, so the both of you can get out." Knives said calmly.  
  
Together Vash and Meryl looked at Knives, each giving him their own interpretation of a perplexing stare.  
  
"It's only about 5:30 or so Knives. You want to sleep now? I haven't even finished replacing your dressings."  
  
"Do it in the morning. I want to sleep now, so leave immediately you retched human and take the idiot with you." Knives commanded forcefully.  
  
Just as Meryl was going to respond in anger she felt herself being lifted from the ground. She looked over at Vash surprised, but he too was equally surprised for his feet were no longer on the ground either. Soon enough they both found themselves being flung out of Knives room and thrown against the hallway wall. Meryl more carefully than Vash, and they watched as his bedroom door slammed shut and listened as the locks bolted themselves.  
  
"Vash." Meryl said in a quavering voice as she sat there against the wall looking at Knives door. "How, how did he, did Knives do that?" she asked in shocked disbelief.  
  
Vash looked over at her and nodded.  
  
"But he shouldn't have been able to. I don't understand how he was able to control his most difficult ability. He should not have been able to do that until long after his body was fully healed." Vash told her.  
  
-  
  
In all actuality Vash was right, Knives wasn't supposed to be able to do that. He had used every ounce of his strength to use his scientifically inexplicable power. And now that he was alone in his room he let the fatigue of using it over take him.  
  
'Knives why did you do that? How did you do that?' Vash asked himself. This time he really did not expect his brother to answer.  
  
'Are you that stupid? To ask how I did it? How do you THINK I did it Vash?! The same way I've been doing it for all these decades! As for why, I need time to think, so get lost. Knives finished that thought and fell asleep due to his own overexertion. -  
  
Remembering Meryl, Vash stood from his position on the floor and offered Meryl his hand which she ignored and stood up herself and began banging on Knives door.  
  
"Knives! You insolent little demon! Open this door!" She shouted in pure anger.  
  
"Meryl don't." Vash grabbed her hand to stop her. "He's already asleep and he's too weak to wake up. Just let him be."  
  
Meryl gave him a look that showed daggers in her eyes.  
  
Vash shrank back but did not release her hand. "Please, Meryl, I realize you're mad because he literally threw us out without a reason, but this IS Knives."  
  
"So that excuses his rude behavior?!" She spat out. From saying that she become conscious of Vash's hand tightly around her own and she couldn't help but blush.  
  
When Vash saw what she was blushing at he too blushed and dropped her hand quickly before she got angry.  
  
'His hand was so warm.' she thought to herself.  
  
She cleared her throat and turned away from him, hoping to regain her normal color. "Millie should be back soon, she gets off early today, and I have to go out and get some things for dinner tonight, so I'll be back in a little while."  
  
"Can I come?" Vash asked hopefully, but Meryl shook her head.  
  
"You'd better stay and keep on eye on Knives, just in case, besides I don't think you'd be too welcomed anywhere in this town anymore." Vash nodded his head in agreement and watched as Meryl grabbed some money to stuff in her pockets and left the little house.  
  
-  
  
Dinner was unusually quiet that night. Normally conversation flowed easily between the three, but Meryl had just finished telling Millie about the town forcing Vash to leave. Like Knives, she thought it'd be better to discuss the issue in the morning.  
  
Not really knowing what else to do, after a few quick games of Chess, in which Millie won of course, they all decided to retire for the evening.  
  
While Millie and Vash bade each other goodnight and Millie walked to her and Meryl's bedroom Vash went in the kitchen to watch Meryl clean up the kitchen from dinner. At one time he opened his mouth to say good night, but promptly closed it, when he decided he liked it better to just watch her.  
  
'She has so much on her mind right now.' He thought to himself. 'And it's all pretty much my fault. I brought Knives here, I burnt down the library.just being me has caused her so much stress.' With the saddened thought well engraved in his mind he silently walked to his room.  
  
Meryl turned around abruptly just as Vash left her view. 'Vash?' She questioned to herself.  
  
-  
  
Once the kitchen was cleaned she went into the room she now shared with Millie and found the gentle woman was already fast asleep. Meryl slowly changed into pajamas and was about ready to climb into bed and fall asleep herself, when she heard a loud thump coming from Vash's room.  
  
Curious and a bit worried as to what it was she got back up and went to Vash's room. She knocked but didn't wait for a response as she opened his door. Peering in, she didn't see him.  
  
"Vash?" She called out softly.  
  
"Meryl?" she heard Vash's equally quiet voice respond and watched as he stood up from the side of his bed in nothing but sweatpants. All his scars uncovered.  
  
She slowly approached him looking over his scars. "I heard a noise. I wanted to check and see if you were alright."  
  
"I'm fine, I just slipped is all. You were worried?" He asked as he watched her advancement towards him. Her eyes locked on the one thing he wished they weren't.  
  
"Of course." She said, barely hearing her own response. Meryl's eyes fell on some scars that looked fresh, ones she didn't recognize from the last time she saw him like this. Vash saw her looking at those particular ones.  
  
"From the fight with Knives." He said quietly, embarrassed.  
  
"Right." She nodded and reached out a hand but then stopped herself. "May I?"  
  
"Why would you want to?" He asked.  
  
She was surprised he asked, even though it was a reasonable question. The problem was she didn't know why she wanted to touch the scars. In a way they mesmerized her, and to touch them was nothing more than an urge. Vash could see she was at a loss for words.  
  
"If you really want to."  
  
Meryl gently placed her hand on his scarred but toned chest and swallowing a large lump in her throat she began to run her hand around his scars and all the metal that lay near it.  
  
As she was doing this Vash felt his entire body tingle under her touch. The way she was caressing him, made him want to pick her up and bring her to his bed. The feeling was that strong.  
  
But he couldn't do such a thing. Meryl did not know how he felt about her, even he wasn't one hundred percent sure on how he felt about her, and he for sure did not know how she felt about him. As a result he forced himself to suppress the desire to take her in as his, by tightly closing his eyes and take deep shallow breaths.  
  
Like a sudden cold rush to his body he felt Meryl drop her curious, searching hand and reopened his eyes to focus back down on her.  
  
"I don't understand you Vash." She said quietly.  
  
"What do you mean?" He asked calming himself from the feelings Meryl's touch left him with.  
  
"Why you care for humans and are willing to protect us. A race that hates you and would rather see you dead. A race that uses planets in a horrible way. Knives feelings of hate make more sense."  
  
"So you think I should loathe humans too and attempt to destroy them all? No Meryl, even though a great many human beings hate me I can not hate them back. They're only acting out of fear."  
  
"But these scars Vash." She touched the metal plate on his chest. "You receive things like this from trying to protect us."  
  
"I know, but they're only scars." He told her barely above a whisper. "Why don't you run from them? Everyone else does."  
  
"You've already asked me that and I told you a time ago I never would. As you said, they're only scars. At any rate, I'd better get back to bed. I only came to check on you and we all have a lot to talk about tomorrow, so I think I'll skip work in the morning."  
  
Vash couldn't believe that. Meryl was going to skip a day of work, and for him.  
  
"Where do you work anyway? The saloon?"  
  
"No, well I used to, but I kept thrashing the customers and got fired, so now I work at the Fourth Moon Restaurant, down the street and to the left." Meryl yawned tiredly. "Good night then Vash."  
  
"Good night Meryl." He responded quietly as she walked out of the room and closed the door behind her.  
  
'Meryl, is it possible, that if I never loved you before, I do now?' He thought to himself. Vash touched the last scar Meryl had her hand on and sighed. He could still feel the affect she left him in.  
  
-  
  
In the other room next to Vash, Knives awoke due to Vash's highly emotional thought.  
  
"That's right dear brother. Fall in love with the human; it'll only make things more painful for you and more pleasant for me in the end." Knives said out loud to himself in a hoarse voice. He then heard his door being picked and watched as it opened to see Meryl standing there looking triumph.  
  
"Knives, you're awake." She said looking over at his tired blue eyes.  
  
He grunted a response and looked at the instrument she used to open his door. A bobby pin, he turned his head to the ceiling.  
  
"I wanted to check on you before I turned in for the night."  
  
Knives knew his brother was pushing his ear against the wall they shared in order to hear what was going on.  
  
"That's nice of you, but I'm fine so you may leave." Instead, Meryl stood there eyes wide in surprise.  
  
"Did you just tell me to do something politely?" He looked over at her carefully. He had, but he didn't mean to.  
  
"I guess I did, take note that it was unintentional and I won't do such a thing again anytime soon."  
  
Meryl approached Knives slowly.  
  
"What are you doing? I told you to leave!" He barked, returning to his normal self. Meryl tensed at the sharpness of his voice but paid no attention to it and sat next to him on his bed. Where he cringed. 'What is she doing?' He thought to himself. 'I'm supposed to be the one in control.'  
  
"Knives do you honestly hate me?"  
  
"When did I ever say I hated you in particular? I said I hated humans in general."  
  
"So you don't hate me as an individual?"  
  
"Why do you care whether I hate you or not?"  
  
Meryl didn't say anything as she stood gazing at Knives. She gently put her hand on his arm, in which to the surprise at both of them, he neither tensed nor flinched.  
  
"I guess I was just curious to know. Good night Knives, I'll see you in the morning." Meryl walked out of the room, and as she was about to close the door she turned and gave him a small smile.  
  
-  
  
A/N: Done! YES! Chapter 3- Song of Truth is sobre, sopra, par-dessus, in English, over! I almost kind of rushed to get this one up and in writing this fan fic I've kind of fallen behind in school! (Oops) I just can't concentrate in school when my mind keeps thinking of ideas for this story!  
  
Knives: when exactly am I going to be healed?  
  
Author: Never! I like the pathetic-take-care-of-me Knives! Muhahahaha ::coughs twice:: Alright then! You all know the drill read and review!  
  
Oh and BTW- if any of you have noticed I kind of constantly change the summary, because I don't think anything is really fitting. So based on what you have read and what you think could happen, feel free to try and think of a good summary for me! It'd be much appreciated! I'll dedicate a chapter to the person I choose. Hmm, dedications, not a good way to bribe people to making a summary for you. Oh well. Let's see what happens.  
  
Yours truly,  
Faery G. 


	4. My Will

Fate of Awakening Love  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Trigun. Life is that cruel.  
  
A/N: Hello everyone. Still remember me? Or this story? Yeah, probably not. You'll have to reread the entire story. ::crawls behind a couch:: I'm really sorry I have not updated in nearly 3 months. My excuse? I just didn't get around to it and I did have a bit of writer's block but I'm back now and I'll try to update at a better pace. So then, I'm glad everyone liked chapter 3! YAY! I hope chapter 4 will be just as good, hopefully even better.  
  
Have any of you read the manga of Trigun finally released in the US? Reading it, I was really happy I had seen the anime first. Otherwise my feeble little mind could not have followed the story, anyway enjoy my wonderful reviewers!  
  
-  
  
'My plan is working perfectly.' Knives thought as Meryl slipped out of his room. He listened as Vash settled back down in his own room and "watched" as floaty dreams entered his brother's mind.  
  
'Once I'm completely healed my plan can take its physical appearance. For now I'll just continue to play with Meryl and my dear sweet naive brother. I can tell without much trouble Meryl is softening for me. So much like a human to drop their alertness when things melt over.'  
  
He gazed at the night sky and smiled a dangerous smile. He watched as a shooting star flung across the black sky and shiver of a thought crept through his mind. When Meryl laid her hand over his arm he had intended on at least tensing but instead his body did not react in that intended fashion.  
  
'Watch yourself Knives!' He warned himself. 'Don't let her kindness fool you. You are the superior being. Take charge of her life.'  
  
"I'm fully aware," he said a loud talking to himself. "But when she asked if I hated her I saw the curious hope in her eye. Perhaps she.... is not that bad."  
  
With that having left his lips he began to internally fight himself. One side, a far larger side arguing she was still a filthy human brat, the other, a mere sliver, protesting that she, personally had done nothing wrong as far as he could see. Far into the evening the larger part of him decided nothing would be done about it for the time being and the plan would continue as if nothing had happened.  
  
-  
  
Having just nearly fallen asleep he heard a few noises and woke back up instantly that day, but without being able to move he did nothing but stare out the faintly lit sky. 'This is going to be quite the day.' He thought to himself. As the sky grew lighter and the suns finally rose to a reasonable height in the sky he started to hear sounds that let him know that the others were indeed up as he had originally thought.  
  
-  
  
Vash walked in the kitchen yawning and giving himself a slight scratch. "Good morning girls!" He said cheerfully to Meryl and Millie who were making breakfast.  
  
"Morning Vash." They both responded in unison.  
  
"Millie please take this tray and head for Knives bedroom. I'll be there in a short second." Meryl ordered handing her it to her.  
  
"Okay Meryl." Millie took off for Knives room while Meryl stayed to load the other trays with food.  
  
"What's going on?" Vash asked, trying not to think of the previous night. Though he could hardly help it since he swore he could still feel Meryl's wondrous touch on him. It was a miracle he could talk to her, but Meryl seemed unaffected and if she could so could he.  
  
"Millie and I decided that in order for Knives to be involved in the conversation we would have breakfast in his bedroom. There are a lot of things to talk about today, or have you forgotten?"  
  
"I haven't forgotten." He responded quietly. "Umm, Meryl?"  
  
"Yes?" She asked, continuing to load food onto the trays.  
  
"About what you did last night..." As he trailed off he noticed Meryl abruptly stop loading the food.  
  
"Yeah...." She turned around to face him with a sheepish look. "Sorry about that. I was completely out of line, but it was weird seeing a friend in such condition. Anyway," She picked up a tray and handed it to Vash and picked up a separate one. "We'd better get to Knives room, who knows what torture he feels Millie is putting him through."  
  
Without giving another glance at Vash, Meryl proceeded in the direction of Knives room. Vash followed slowly behind her.  
  
'Why did you have to be sorry about it?' He thought.  
  
Entering Knives room, he saw Millie talking on a chair facing him, Knives looking rather annoyed and slightly murderous, and Meryl starting to sit on the edge of Knives' bed by his feet. Vash decided to remain standing by his brother's head.  
  
"You're sure you won't eat Knives? It's a good breakfast. Millie and I made it together." Meryl told him  
  
"I said no!" He thundered.  
  
"Sheesh, well, it's good that you're up." She said cheerfully.  
  
"Up. I never went to sleep." He murmured tiredly, and then yawned as if to prove he had a sleepless night.  
  
"What?!" Meryl exclaimed surprised. "But I left you seven hours ago."  
  
"Yes well, I couldn't get back to sleep afterwards."  
  
Without much warning, Meryl began to feel his forehead and cheeks. At the quick unexpected touch he shrank his head further in the pillow and she pulled her hand away.  
  
"Sorry." She sighed. "But Knives, you're burning up!"  
  
'Happens when you're having an inner war inside your head the entire night.' He thought to himself but said nothing to her.  
  
"And you've got the worst timing! Vash has to be out of this town by today remember?"  
  
"Vaguely." He responded weakly, caving in a bit to the fever.  
  
"You do not look that.." Millie stopped in mid sentence when she caught a better look at him.  
  
"Knives are you alright?" Vash asked.  
  
"I'm fine." He replied with a rather unconvincing voice.  
  
"No he's not. He's definitely got a high fever." Meryl corrected Knives.  
  
"Oh..." Vash said quietly. "Then there is no other alternative. With him injured and sick we can't move him. It wouldn't be right. You'll have to stay with him Meryl. And Millie you ought to stay with Meryl. I'll be fine on my own."  
  
"Vash the Stampede! You are not going anywhere by yourself and that's final!" Meryl nearly yelled exasperated.  
  
"Well what do you suggest Meryl?" Millie asked her.  
  
"I suggest...." Meryl began when Knives interrupted her.  
  
"I suggest none of you carry on about it. I suppose none of you inferior's have noticed, but this town is completely desolate."  
  
"What?!" Millie, Vash and Meryl said at the same time.  
  
"What are you talking about brother? What do you mean nobody is here?" Vash asked.  
  
"I mean nobody is here you half wit. Take a look outside. Explore the town if you must but you'll realize soon enough that the only being's left in this town are the four of us."  
  
"You're lying." Millie whispered.  
  
"Am I?" Knives challenged her. "Then go see for yourself. Go anywhere in the town you would like. You will not find a single human soul besides the one beside you."  
  
Giving each other looks Vash and Millie sprinted out of Knives bedroom door, while Meryl stayed by his side.  
  
"What did you do with them all Knives?" She asked quietly.  
  
"Why do you assume I've done something with them?"  
  
"Because it wouldn't be the first time a whole town disappeared without a trace, due to your schemes."  
  
Knives snorted, then grabbed his ribs, the snort hurt him a bit.  
  
"In case you have been blind the past few minutes you would notice I'm not exactly in the best of shape Meryl, so even if I wanted to, I doubt I could get away with doing away with all the worthless humans without you being slightly aware of it."  
  
Meryl said nothing as she looked back at him, staring hard into him.  
  
"What?!" He would have yelled if he didn't feel quite so feverish.  
  
"What did you call me?"  
  
"What are you talking about? I didn't call you anything!" Knives told her bewildered ready to defend himself from her angry verbal attacks.  
  
"Yes you did. You called me Meryl. Not spider, or inferior or what other demeaning names you've got inside your horrible head, but Meryl. My name."  
  
Knives just realized this. "So I did. Who cares?"  
  
Meryl gave him a bright smile. "Obviously, you do."  
  
Just as he was about to respond Vash and Millie came back in, Vash lunging himself at his brother, but before he could attack him Meryl stepped in between them.  
  
"Vash what the hell are you doing?!"  
  
"He was right Meryl! All the people! Everyone is gone! Just like before! And I want to know what he did with them and why!"  
  
"Calm down idiot. I didn't do anything to them. You got that?" Knives sighed annoyingly. "A few hundred people go missing and you all think I had something to do with it!"  
  
"Because you ALWAYS have something to do with it!" Vash yelled at him. Feeling suddenly tired Vash sat down and rubbed his hands in his face. When he looked up again he looked like an old man.  
  
"Knives, you seriously had nothing to do with this?"  
  
"Seriously." Knives responded rather pissed off that no one believed him.  
  
"Seriously?" Millie asked.  
  
"Yes!" He barked.  
  
They all sat in silence for awhile.  
  
"But now that everyone has gone missing it's more urgent that we leave this town at once. If people find that only four people are still here, one being Vash the Stampede we'll get asked a lot of questions we couldn't possibly answer." Meryl stated standing up.  
  
"But what about Mr. Knives, Meryl?" Millie asked  
  
She looked at him. "He'll have to grin and bare the pain. I'm sorry Knives but that is your only option." Knives said nothing and looked away out the window. Instead of leaving him Meryl sighed and walked around the bed so he was looking directly at her. "Don't tell me you're mad?"  
  
He clenched his teeth. "You have little, make that no idea, of how unbearable, the pain throughout my entire body is. Not to mention that I'm seeing three of you because of this annoying fever."  
  
"I can imagine how you feel Knives, but think of our position." Meryl's voice softened. "I'll take care you Knives, I promise."  
  
Hearing her say that hit both Vash and Knives like a ton of bricks. Feeling the oncoming tension Millie stepped out to start packing. 'Oh Meryl, what have you done?.' She thought to herself.  
  
Back in Knives room Meryl seemed to realize that what she just said was a grave mistake.  
  
"Did I say something wrong?" She bravely asked.  
  
"I promised Rem I'd take care of Knives." Vash told her.  
  
"Rem was a fool, Vash. I don't need taking care of, by her, you, or you." He said looking at Meryl.  
  
Looking at Meryl's face as he said that, a sharp pain struck his chest, but he hadn't moved.  
  
'Where is this pain coming from?' He thought to himself. 'I feel weird, I feel bad, liked I wronged something.' He looked back over at Meryl. 'Meryl.'  
  
Vash looked at his brother, looking at Meryl. 'Knives.'  
  
'What?' Knives thought back to his brother not looking away from Meryl who was looking out the window.  
  
'What have you been thinking?' Vash asked.  
  
Knives finally tore his gaze from Meryl. 'Just that....' He found himself looking deep inside himself, ignoring the annoying voice that warned him to stay away from humans, that humans were only good when they were dead. 'She's mine Vash. You had your chance.'  
  
-  
  
A/N: One more chapter down! I will try harder to have the next chapter out sooner (I'm already working on it) but I'm not making any promises. Though I hope you liked this one (even though everyone's getting a bit OOC. Oops.) And I can't wait to see your reviews!  
  
Knives: Try not to take a million years putting up the next chapter inferior.  
  
A/N: Ah, Knives.:: gives him a swift kick in the shin:: Always speaking on behalf of the readers.  
  
Yours truly,  
  
Faery Goddyss  
  
BTW- Don't forget to Read and Review! 


	5. Every Heart

Fate of Awakening Love 

Disclaimer: I don't own Trigun. Life is that cruel.

A/N: Thanks for the words of empathy and sympathy it's really appreciated! Not only did I read them but I read all the reviews I've ever received for this story and it did remind me that everyone who has ever read it, did in fact, like it! Please enjoy chapter 6, Every Heart.

-

Vash gave his brother a look of surprise. 'Knives couldn't have just said that Meryl was his. He couldn't have.' He thought to himself still staring hard at his brother who was staring right back.

Meryl, having not heard any of these mental thoughts, looked from Knives to Vash, and back again and sighed. "Look, I realize I probably hit a sore spot, mentioning Rem but we do need to get a move on. So would you two stop the staring contest? Vash you need to get packing and so do I, and Knives..." She looked over at the immobile man. Just try not to aggravate anyone."

Grabbing Vash, Meryl walked out of Knives room, leaving his door open. Finally turning his eyes away from his brother Knives concentrated on his white ceiling. 'Why the hell did I just say that?' He thought to himself. 'Now that blonde haired buffoon will never leave me alone.'

-

Vash let himself be dragged away, and dropped off in his room by Meryl, as his mind raced. Raced to find answers that would satisfy him on what Knives could have possibly meant by claiming Meryl as his. Though he couldn't find a reasonable enough answer, so he did the only thing he could think of, he asked his brother. 'Knives?' He thought, aiming the question directly towards Knives mind.

'What is it Vash?' Knives responded sounding a little tired. Not fazed at all by the tiredness in his twin's voice he continued his search for answers.

'About what you said about Meryl....' Knives cut him off.

'You don't think I meant that she was mine in a passionate way did you?' He didn't let him answer. 'You did, didn't you?' He thought with disgust. 'Honestly Vash I thought you of all people knew me, even if it's only a little. Of course she is mine. The way Legato was mine. All I have to do is call and she'll come running. She makes the perfect slave don't you think? Even if she is a low life human.'

Vash tried not to let is show how much relief he felt but he could hardly contain it. 'Of course that's what you meant! Although I will not let you use Meryl in that way Knives!'

'Too bad it's not your choice. Now let me rest!' Knives instantly cut off his thoughts from Vash.

Vash, fully reenergized at the prospect that Knives wasn't interested in Meryl, happily packed his things and took them out to the living room where Meryl and Millie were busy packing up some food.

"Need any help?" he asked cheerfully.

"You seem to be feeling better." Meryl stated dryly.

"Yup! I just won't let Knives get to me."

"Get to you about what precisely?" Meryl asked curiously.

"Oh, this and that. So what can I do to help?"

"Actually, Mr. Vash, do you think you could go into the town and see if there are any forms of transportation out there? If there's not I don't know what we'll do to haul all these supplies plus Mr. Knives around." Millie said, looking at all the things they needed.

"Sure thing Millie. I'll be right back then." Humming, he left the house in search of transportation while the girls eyed him with slight suspicion.

"That's awfully strange. Even for Vash. I could have sworn he was having some thought battle with Knives earlier....but from the looks of it I was wrong." Meryl said while closing the lid of her suitcase.

"Well maybe he was, but he got over it already. Mr. Vash does have the tendency to not sweat the small stuff don't you think?" Millie asked.

"Yeah, you're right. Well, anyhow I guess the only thing left to pack is what Knives will need."

"Do you want me to do it Meryl?" Millie asked.

Meryl sighed. "Thanks for the offer, but I can do it. You just finish up here."

Meryl walked slowly towards Knives room. Wondering what kind of mood he'd be in when she entered. Upon approaching it she noticed the door was closed. "How in the heck did he close this door? I thought he was too weak." She murmured to herself.

She knocked on the door and entered in time to see Knives fully awake, and to her displeasure and shock, standing.

"Knives! You can stand?!" She exclaimed, walking in towards him.

He turned to face her, his face twisted in pain. She gasped and jumped towards him to help him back on the bed in a sitting position.

"Are you out of your mind?! You are in no condition to stand up! You're not helping the healing process Knives!" She yelled at him.

He snarled and pushed her away only to crumble down in his bed from the pain. "Get lost!" He yelled back.

Surprised at his strength to push her away, Meryl stood up to look at him, arms folded, ignoring his command. "You were walking weren't you?! That's how you closed the door, isn't it?"

"No actually I did that with my mind, you pest." Knives said into his pillow as he had put his head into it so Meryl wouldn't see just how much pain he was feeling.

"Pest?" Her eyes narrowed, but she took a deep breath and let her arms drop to her sides. Against her better judgment she rolled Knives around, ignoring his groans of protest.

He started to stare as Meryl silently, checked his leg wounds. While one of them was fine, the one on his upper thigh had spilt open. He looked as Meryl grimaced at the once nearly healed hole in his leg that was now a bloody gash. While she immediately tended to it and re-bandaged the hole she never once looked at his face.

'What is she doing?' He wondered to himself. 'Why is she so quiet?'

Once she was done she locked gazes with Knives. "Don't you ever walk on these legs again until I tell you, you can." She put a hand up to his forehead in which he didn't dare move.

Without any thing further Meryl packed up the things she thought Knives would need, and left without a word, leaving a very bewildered man.

-

'He called me a pest. I thought we had gotten past that stupid stage.' Meryl thought to herself as she made her way down the hallway. 'Will he never see me as an equal?' She wondered, though she didn't get much time to wonder as Vash bustled back into the house a little out of breath.

"That was quick Mr. Vash." Millie said looking up.

"Yeah, well I only found two Thomas's but I nearly ran into some people."

"People?" Both Millie and Meryl surprised.

"I thought the entire town had disappeared?" Meryl asked, shoving away her thoughts of Knives.

"It had, these people are coming from the west. I'm pretty sure they didn't see me either."

"So there not actually in the town yet?" Meryl asked, and Vash shook his head. "Still..." Meryl pondered. "We need to get this packing in high gear, let's start loading the Thomas's and get out of here."

Nodding, they all set to work going back and forth loading the birds. Taking an overview of the entire house Meryl turned to Vash. "Get your brother, but be gentle. He ripped open a wound trying to walk."

"He can walk!" Both Millie and Vash nearly shouted.

"Not really. Hurry now Vash we haven't got time to dawdle."

While Vash ran inside to retrieve his brother Millie and Meryl both hopped on a bird. Meryl being in the front holding onto the reins.

-

Vash entered his brother's room and slowly walked up to him quietly.

"What?" Knives suddenly said, startling Vash enough for him to knock over a chair. Knives focused his attention on his brother. "What's wrong with you? Walk much?"

"More than you currently." Vash responded back, standing the chair back up. Grinning at his own feeble joke he looked over at his brother who looked more then less amused. "I'm just kidding Knives. I'm here to get you. We're leaving now."

Vash picked Knives up as carefully as he could and walked him out of the house and to the front where the girls were waiting. They watched as Vash placed Knives on top of the bird, and then climbed on himself behind him.

"Is he okay?" Millie asked, eyeing Knives.

"He'll be okay I think." Vash responded.

They suddenly heard some very distant voices.

"Oh no." They all, with the exception of Knives, said at the same.

Without needed any other reason to leave, they took off at a slight gallop heading in the opposite direction of the voices they barely heard. They rode for hours before allowing the birds to slow to a trot, then a walk before they finally decided to stop for the night at some rock formations in the desert sands.

Vash helped his brother down and set him against one of the rocks while he started a fire.

"Is anyone particularly hungry?" Meryl asked the small group.

Millie yawned and shook her head. "I'm too tired to eat. I just want to sleep." So she rested herself on the ground and fell asleep. Meryl looked over at Knives who had been asleep for hours and still was.

"How about you Vash?" She asked.

"I can wait till the morning. You must be tired too?" He asked, sitting himself near the fire that had just started up and leaned against a boulder.

"Not really." She said as she sat next to Vash. "There's just too much on my mind."

"Like what?" Vash wondered a loud.

Meryl sighed and stared into the fire. "Well, like the fact that I left my type writer in that town, so now I have no idea how I'll let the boss know what's going on. Plus the mysterious disappearance of that entire town, with the exception of us and those two Thomas's. Not to mention Knives health and his attitude."

"Oh." Vash said. "Did you want to talk about any of it?" She shook her head.

"Okay. So where are we going anyway?" He asked her.

"February." She responded simply.

"I've never heard of that town."

"It's relatively new. There are only about 15 families or so. When you left many new towns started to pop up as water became less and less scarce. This just happens to be one of them."

"That's good. This is exactly what Rem wanted. For the human race to make a come back and you are. She'd be so happy." Vash said with a slight smile. "You know Meryl, you and Rem are a lot alike."

"Hmm." Meryl responded nonchalantly. "She was like a mother to you and Knives wasn't she?"

"Yes, she was."

"Does that make me like a mother to you also? I'll bet Knives looks at me that way. Whether or not he wants one."

Vash shook his head. "I don't see you at all like a mother. I doubt Knives does either."

"You're right. He sees me as a thorn in his side." She said as she brushed away some invisible specks of sand off her knee.

"I think he sees everyone as a thorn in his side. Especially me. You just can't let it get to you."

"I know Vash, but the fact is that it does. I don't want to be the human he hates. I'd give a lot to see him accept me, not just as a human but as a living being. I'd give more to see that face of his smile."

Vash abruptly turned his head towards Meryl, but she continued to look into the now blazing fire. 'Meryl, I hate to see you this way. Troubled over my brother. I'd give anything to see you smile and laugh again. To be carefree. To love you. I need to tell you. I need to tell you I love. Right now.'

As if sensing his thoughts Meryl turned to look over at Vash. "Meryl I...."

Knives made a sudden shift and Meryl's eyes averted towards him. "Just a second Vash." She stood and walked over towards him. Bending down she could see he was sweating in his sleep and he looked extremely uncomfortable.

"Oh Knives." She said softly. "What's wrong with you?" At the slight mention of his name he opened his eyes. His normally vibrant commanding blue eyes were dull and sick like. His eyes made no apparent movement, but she knew he was awake.

"Knives you should have been healed ages ago. Why won't your body get better? I imagined you'd be running about by now and yet your only getting worse it seems."

He grunted as a response but no words would form as he fell back in a surreal sleep. Meryl reached a hand towards his forehead. At the feel of it she gasped. "You're hotter than you were before. I just don't understand."

Vash approached her. "How's he doing?" He asked.

"Not well, not well at all. He's got a higher fever, and he's probably in more pain, and it doesn't make any sense. Something is delaying his healing process and I've been racking my brain to figure out what it is. What could we have possibly done wrong that he would be so-" She stopped in mid-sentence and looked up at Vash.

"Hey Vash?"

"Yeah Meryl?"

"After you shot Knives all that time ago, what exactly did you do with him?"

Vash took a moment to think before he spoke. "Well, I slung him over my shoulder and walked all day till I cam across a cave. I settled him there and then bandaged up his wounds."

"More details Vash, how'd you take care of his wounds?"

"I did have some water with me so I just washed off the blood and dirt before bandaging him. Why?"

"Vash please tell me you did take out the bullets."

As Vash opened his mouth to respond, he promptly shut it.

"Vash! Tell me you did not leave bullets in your brother's body?!"

"I guess that slipped my mind."

"Vash! No wonder he's always in and out of fevers! He must have a deep infection! How could we have missed the bullets though?" She thought for a second. "I guess that's not important. Could you get me some water?"

"Yeah of course." He walked off to get some water from one of their canteens and quickly handed it to Meryl. She set it down beside herself and gently stirred Knives awake.

"What?!" He said groggily.

"Knives you're burning up, so could you drink some water?" She asked gently

"No, I'm not thirsty. Now leave me alone."

"Knives! Drink the water!" She commanded.

To her and Vash's surprise he actually took the water after a slight huff of annoyance and downed it. After drinking it he tossed it to the side. "Happy?" He asked.

"Very."

"Good now let me sleep I'm still seeing multiple amounts of you."

"Actually Knives there is something you should know." She said while looking at Vash.

"Meryl, he's already asleep." Vash pointed out.

Meryl gave him shake and he re-opened his eyes. "You need to hear this Knives; we know why you're so sick."

"Enlighten me." He said closing his eyes, but Meryl would not let him as she shook him again.

"Stay awake for a little while."

"Talk faster." He responded.

"Okay here's the thing. Vash accidentally left the bullets in your body from after your fight and that's causing the fever. The reason we probably never noticed them is because in the time it took Vash to return with you, your body most likely started to heal the wounds and ended up covering the bullets. Did you register any of that because your eyes are fluttering."

"It registered. I'll kick his ass later, now I sleep."

This time Meryl let Knives drift off to sleep. She turned to Vash.

"Do you plan to take them out Meryl?" He asked quietly.

"I would but I don't really know how to do something like that. I mean I have a general idea but I don't want to try."

"Then we wait until we get to February?" He asked.

"Yes, and pray there's a doctor or someone who will know how to remove the bullets from Knives." Meryl said.

Giving the sleeping Knives a last look she walked back over to where Millie was and readied herself to fall asleep when she remembered something.

"Oh Vash, what was it that you were going to tell me before I attended to Knives?"

Vash sighed. "It was nothing."

"Are you sure? It sounded important."

"Yes. I'm sure."

"Well okay. Goodnight then."

"Goodnight Meryl."

As Meryl settled down and fell asleep Vash stayed up a bit longer looking over her, Millie and Knives. 'One day soon Meryl...I'll tell you how much I love you.'

-

A/N: Hooray! Finished! So how did everyone like this chapter? I haven't started on chapter 7, but I have many ideas. Some of them thanks to some of you! Don't forget to read and review!

Knives: ::rubs shin from where Faery last kicked it:: Should I even make a comment?

Author: Its probably best not to. I'm still venting from losing this chapter three separate times.

Knives: Didn't think so.

Yours truly,  
F.G.

* * *

Chiruken- I'm so happy you like the way I'm writing the characters! All this time I've been paranoid, wondering if they're going to OOC or something but no one seems to think so. And I am HAPPY you're sympathizing with Knives. Next to Vash he was my favorite character and I want everyone to love him!

Arika.D- Ahh yes... the missing towns people...well I kinda, sorta don't know either. Imagine that. It just kind of popped out in my writing. Not my original plan for this story but I think it'll make a good side story. And I AM sorry about the delay but is this not an update?

Raniy-days13- Thank you so much! I'm glad you're enjoying it! But no puppy eyes! I will update for a long while. At least that's my plan.

Ana- You think K/M is a weird pairing? I guess it is actually, seeing how Knives is supposed to be evil and everything.

Tempest Strife- A classic western fight between Vash and Knives over Meryl? Possibly. That idea has some potential. I do promise you that Vash WILL tell Meryl how he feels but like I once said I'm not keen on pouncing love.

Annoyed- I'm sorry!!!!! Here's chapter 6! Be happy and less annoyed with me!

Tinkerbell#63-Knive was right I suppose. I shouldn't keep people waiting and no, it's not too melodramatic.

Doomsdaybringer- I laughed so hard with your comment! Once again I am truly sorry for taking so long to update! But I'm pleased that not updating can aggravate you so much! It means you really love my story which makes me super happy!

Attaintity- Thanks. and I will continue.

Saki3- Sorry, but there is absolutely no way I can guarantee at this time who Meryl will be with. I really love Vash, but I honestly love Knives just as much. I'm completely torn! And I will work on the comma issue, thanks for pointing that out.

Dreamfairy06- It was quite frustrating, but thanks to a lot of reviews and comments like yours I want to continue this story. And honestly, there's no way I could leave you all hanging like that! I would never in a million years be able to forgive myself. Besides, I'm just as curious to what I can come up with for an ending.

Ladienaime- Of course I will continue! Thanks for the compliment!

Neptune Butterfly- LOL. I swear that you are the type of fan I live for. I was whooping with laughter after reading your comment. I too always imagined that Knives could be a good guy. Maybe not Vash good but not a killer maniac either. Tell Kuroneko- sama he's forgiven, this ONE time. But that it's never to happen again! Thanks for reading and reviewing!

Bishinjouodess- YAY!! I love that you love, love triangles too! My stories always are! You say you hate cliffies, but secretly you love them, you know you do. Besides I need them to keep you people coming back for more!


	6. Strength of the Soul

Fate of Awakening Love  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Trigun. Life is that cruel.  
  
A/N: Please enjoy!  
  
-  
  
As the night lingered on the Trigun crew all entered the sleeping stage full of comfortable dreams and shallow breathing. That is, all of them except Knives. With his high fever and pain, sleep was not nearly as comfortable as he would have liked. Finally he succumbed to the fever and decided it was better to just wake up instead of fighting it to let him sleep.  
  
'Damn fever.' He thought to himself. 'Vash you peace loving idiot, you probably left those bullets in me on purpose. You'll pay for that.' As a sudden wave of nausea passed through him he couldn't help but moan.  
  
The sudden noise from Knives instantly woke up Meryl. "Knives?" She asked a loud. "Did you need something?"  
  
"No." He answered back rather abruptly.  
  
He watched as Meryl stood up and walked towards him. 'She never listens to anybody.' He thought to himself. "I said I didn't need anything."  
  
"I heard you." She responded as she felt his forehead, yet again. Upon feeling it she sighed with relief. "I think it's going down. Do you feel any better?"  
  
"Not really, but I can at least see straight so that must be a good sign."  
  
"It is." Meryl suddenly started to feel awkward. 'Why do I suddenly feel so nervous? It's just Knives.' She thought to herself. "Well I'll guess you'll want to get back to sleep then?"  
  
Knives scoffed. "Hardly." He watched as she shifted.  
  
"In that case I'll stay up with you and keep you company." Meryl glanced at Knives as his eyebrows furrowed together. "Or if you would rather not have the company, I can just go back to..." He shook his head to interrupt her.  
  
"I do not care either way, but you so plainly do. Why is that all of a sudden? All you have been doing for the past weeks was worry yourself over me. Why? Especially considering the way I have treated you. You can't possibly like me all that much." He questioned her with a calm steady gaze. Enough of a one that she could not hold it with him.  
  
She turned and looked up at the night sky. "I suppose because Vash asked me to, in his own way."  
  
"Of course. My dear, dear brother."  
  
"That's not the only reason Knives. I mean it was at first but... not so much anymore." She looked back down at him and found he was still looking directly at her. "What?" She asked feeling herself blush. 'What's wrong with me? Why am I blushing? It's JUST Knives.' She kept telling herself.  
  
"I didn't say a word, though I was curious about your reasons to stay around me so often." Meryl didn't respond right away.  
  
"Why don't you just invade my thoughts and find out like you used to?"  
  
"I suppose I could." He said quietly. 'Then why don't you?' He asked himself.  
  
"Knives, I do believe you are softening." Meryl couldn't help saying with a slight smirk.  
  
He yawned in an immediate response. "I think you are a bit right. How irritating. At least it just seems to be around you, Vash and the other one. Granted I haven't been around anyone else."  
  
Meryl tired of standing, carefully sat next to Knives at a comfortable distance away to ease the tension they both felt. "I'll ignore what you called Millie, but I have been wondering something ever since Vash brought you back. I never really took to the idea that you'd become like your brother." She heard Knives release a smirk before she continued on. "Yet, with Legato gone, as rest of the Gung-Ho Guns, what are you going to do once you're back in your normal fit condition?"  
  
The darkness that had long left his face since, Meryl didn't even realize when, suddenly sprang back in his eyes, overpowering the recent dull and sick ones, and his voice returned to its coldness. "It's not any of your business, but I plan to do the exact thing I've been planning to do since I was only a year old. Destroy the worthless human race."  
  
As if she just remembered the type of person Knives really was she couldn't help but shudder and flinch in fright. 'I'd forgotten that Knives is a mass murderer. One who hates my race with a deep fiery passion. How could I have ever forgotten?'  
  
Seeing the slight fear in her eyes Knives relaxed himself. 'She still fears me. I still have the upper hand. I couldn't be softening. Not for her, not for anybody.' He thought. 'Yet, I don't want her to fear me. I couldn't be... no of course not. It's the fever. Once I'm better I'll go back to ending the human race.'  
  
With the fear, and tension high between them it was a miracle Meryl didn't walk away from Knives, but she held her ground.  
  
"You would kill us all?" She watched him nod. "Even Millie? Who has helped to take care of you?"  
  
"Especially that one. I would barely call her methods in the past 'taking care of me'." He said, recalling the mummification job Millie always did on him.  
  
"You could kill me?" Meryl asked softly, purposely looking as far away from Knives as she could muster, with her jaw set and her fist clenched as she held back tears she couldn't believe were even forming. 'What has gotten into me? Meryl Stryfe does not cry. What did I honestly expect? He's a murderer. He wouldn't care who helped heal him, in the end we're all worthless to him, and therefore need to die.'  
  
She stood, unable to bear his company any longer or wait for the inevitable answer. Walking back around to where Millie was she settled her self on the ground, ready to lay awake the rest of the night, knowing she could never fall asleep now.  
  
"Meryl." She heard him quietly say her name as a statement and not as a question but she ignored it. 'I'm done helping him.' She thought to herself.  
  
She listened for any other sounds of him but heard nothing. Thinking he went to sleep, she turned on her side, and was face to face with a pair of legs. Looking up at their owners, she saw Knives standing tall and confident but he was in pain, no doubt about that. Her jaw dropped.  
  
Knives bent down beside her and with a surprisingly gentle hand, he closed her mouth shut. Before realizing what was happening Knives pulled her up to a sitting position. Looking at her with the dullness back in his eyes he softly rubbed her arms up and down and said something she never imagined would come out of this particular plants lips.  
  
"I'd never kill you, because I want you and I'll make sure you want me back someday."  
  
The words echoed in her head. '...because I want you.' Over and over again. 'Did I hear that right?' She thought to herself, but knew she was only kidding herself to think otherwise. She knew she heard exactly what Knives said.  
  
-  
  
Wondering if he had heard her, Vash gently shook Meryl again. "Meryl, wake up." He finally watched as the petite woman he had grown to love awake. Both Knives and Millie were also awake and were silently watching as Vash woke Meryl up.  
  
"Hmm?" Meryl said softly, rising from her sleep. As she opened her eyes, her vision was blurry as she took in the blond man before her. "Knives?" She asked softly.  
  
"Knives?!" Vash responded sharply. He looked over at his brother who looked back at him before turning away. Vash turned back to Meryl. "Uh, no it's Vash."  
  
"Vash?" She said the name as if she didn't recognize it. Her vision suddenly cleared and she quickly shaded her eyes from the already high suns. Taking in Vash and Millie her eyes wandered over towards Knives who was sitting up right, looking into the desert. 'Did it really happen? Or was it just a dream?' She thought to herself, the images from the previous night flooding her thoughts.  
  
"Are you feeling okay Meryl?" Millie asked concerned. "I do hope you're not getting as sick as Mr. Knives."  
  
Meryl shook her head and wiped away the thoughts. 'It could only have been a dream. Knives despises humans.' She stood up and took in a deep gulp of air. "I'm fine, just a little disoriented is all."  
  
She could tell her gentle companion did not believe her, but she figured Millie would either drop it or pry later. Which at that moment, Meryl preferred the former. She looked down at Vash who was still crouched down.  
  
"Vash?" She asked curiously. Meryl held her gaze with him as he stood, towering over her.  
  
"Millie made some breakfast. Yours is over by the Thomas's, once you eat we should get going before it gets too hot to travel far." He said this with a cheerful manner but Meryl could sense it was forced.  
  
"Right. By the way, how is Knives feeling this morning?" She asked.  
  
"His fevers down, and with the exception of the bullet wounds he's back to normal."  
  
Nodding she walked by Vash and then Millie, but not before making note of Millie's facial expression. Her friend was confused. That, Meryl could understand, she was confused herself. Without moving her head she averted her eyes back in Knives direction, and at once saw he was staring back.  
  
-  
  
'How cute.' Knives thought to himself. 'She doesn't understand what's going...not that I do.' Knives shifted his gaze to his brother, whom he could already feel his eyes boring into his side. 'What Vash?'  
  
'What's going on with Meryl?' He asked silently to his brother.  
  
'How would I know? Humans, as worthless as they are can often be some of the most complex creatures. Especially the females.' He responded with as little interest as possible.  
  
'Cut the crap Knives. What I'm asking is what you did to her?' He asked anger started to boil inside of him.  
  
'I didn't do a damn thing. And if there is anyone to be pissed off here it ought to be me. Not only have you shot me over three times, you didn't even have the courtesy to take out the bullets!'  
  
'Don't change the subject!' He barked in his furious mind.  
  
Vash glared at his brother and Knives didn't even bother to hold back the smirk that escaped his lips. 'Honestly Vash, did you ever think Meryl would love you back? You're nothing but a job. Something in relevance to a child that she is forced to look after.' Knives watched as his brother's glare faded and wide eyes were replaced.  
  
'That's right brother dearest.' Knives continued, with the emphasis on dearest. 'I heard those pathetic thoughts you had last night. How you must tell Meryl you love her. You thoroughly disgust me. Throwing yourself on a human, and one you hardly deserve. Have you forgotten that you destroyed an entire town!? Hundreds have died because of your carelessness!'  
  
Knives angry thoughts were becoming too much for Vash to take. He held his hands to his ears and shook his head.  
  
'Yes, Vash you know its true! And unlike them you can never shut me out! I can forever be in your head if I wished it!'  
  
'Knives, please!' Vash yelled mentally to his brother.  
  
'I'm not finished yet. Don't shut me out! All you have ever tried to do was shut me out! You favored Rem over me, and you have favored the humans over me, well that's fine Vash, I do not need you. Meryl is more than willing to care for me. The one you love thinks not the same for you. Who was the first one she called out to when she awoke? Me, Vash, it was me. Not you.'  
  
'Why are you doing this Knives?' Vash wondered.  
  
'Because. I hate you. And the pain you're feeling right now, is only the beginning in the pain I will be sure you feel for the rest of your existence. It will be the eternal pain I so long for you to endure. To think it would all start with her.' He looked towards Meryl who was slowly eating with Millie by herself, both oblivious to what was going on between the two plants.  
  
Knives could hardly suppress the crazed look that was over coming himself, but without much warning Meryl turned to face him. A sudden jolt hit his heart, and his crazed look faded as soon as it had come. By the look on her face, Meryl had obviously seen the expression that had just been on his face.  
  
The look on Meryl read that not only was she frightened but she was also concerned.  
  
Knives swallowed the lump that was forming in his throat and calmed himself before facing his brother who looked more than dispirited. 'Damn it.' He thought to himself this time. Not allowing Vash's mind to read his own. He brought his hands to his face and rubbed his eyes forcefully while leaning back further on the rock that was supporting him.  
  
-  
  
Millie stood and looked at the people before her. Since when had things gotten so complicated? She wondered to herself for the nth time. It was evident to her that Mr. Vash was falling in love with Meryl, if he had not already. She always thought her raven haired friend, though in much denial that she was, would find some way to admit to Mr. Vash that she loved him too, once he returned back to them.  
  
But it had already been well over a month and nothing. Meryl was not taking the signals that Mr. Vash was throwing out. No, instead she felt her friends eyes drifting over to a man she didn't think possible. Mr. Knives. How and when, she was still unsure of, in fact she wasn't even sure if what she thought she sensed was there. Was Meryl falling for a murderer?  
  
And more so, was he falling for her? Millie couldn't remember when things had ever been this intricate in her life. If only Wolfwood were still alive. They could think this through together.  
  
-  
  
Meryl finally stood alongside Millie. "I guess we can get going." Everyone nodded their heads in agreement but said nothing. Without being asked Vash picked his brother up and placed him on the waiting Thomas. Instead of climbing a top with him he took the reins, a decision to walk rather than ride.  
  
While both the girls climbed on the other bird, Millie couldn't hold the question in her head any longer. "Meryl?" She asked quietly so Vash and Knives would not hear. "What's happening?"  
  
"Later Millie, once we can have some privacy." She responded back just as quietly. "Let's talk about something else."  
  
"Like what?"  
  
"Like how I left the typewriter in that last town."  
  
"Meryl you didn't!?" Millie exclaimed, a little relieved to move on to less somber matters.  
  
-  
  
While the girls began a light, somewhat amusing topic the two brothers were feeling anything but a light and amusing mood between them. As the hours went on they didn't exchange a word or a thought, even as they stopped for lunch. Starting back up to continue their jaunt through the desert to get to February Vash finally couldn't stand the silence.  
  
"Why can't you change?" Vash suddenly asked his brother.  
  
"Why can't you change?" Knives challenged him back and just as sudden.  
  
"Despite what you said earlier I still hope you'll change. I refuse to give up on you Knives." Vash said, ignoring his brother's challenge.  
  
"I know.... and uh, well."  
  
Finding it odd that his normally outspoken brother could not find words he turned to look at him.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Turn around! I'm not going to say this to your face!" He barked at him.  
  
With a slight curious tilt of the head, Vash did as his brother requested of him.  
  
"Well, any way... I was just going to say that I um..." Knives let out a frustrated sigh and mumbled something.  
  
"I didn't catch that Knives. What did you say?"  
  
"I said..." and he mumbled off again.  
  
"What?!" Vash asked again.  
  
"I said I was sorry, okay! Jeez, your hearing bites Vash."  
  
"You're sorry? What for?"  
  
Knives grinded his teeth together. "You want me to explain?"  
  
"Well if you are apologizing, I would like to know exactly what you're apologizing for." Vash said with a slight smile playing at his lips.  
  
"For someone who was whining earlier, you sure do bounce back to your irritating self. I was apologizing for... TURN AROUND!" Knives seethed.  
  
"Sorry!" Vash let out a laugh.  
  
"I don't hate you... not a whole lot at least. I'm apologizing for that and for the, you know, other insults."  
  
"The other insults, huh? That's the best you could do for an apology?"  
  
"Fine! I wont do it again you bastard ingrate!"  
  
At that comment Vash let out a laugh again. Both Meryl and Millie looked up at the sudden break through of laughter.  
  
-  
  
"I guess whatever was going on between the two of them, someone apologized." Millie said suddenly with a smile. "Now things can relax a bit more."  
  
"Yeah." Meryl said with a nod.  
  
-  
  
"There's just one more thing Knives?" Vash said, stopping in mid- laugh.  
  
"What was that?"  
  
"You like Meryl don't you, perhaps you even love her?"  
  
"Do you?" Knives asked back.  
  
"Yes. In fact you're the first one I admit this to. I'm in love with her, so what about yourself?"  
  
Knives didn't bother to lie this time, though he certainly didn't give his brother a straight answer. "Perhaps."  
  
Vash didn't say anything for a moment before nodding. "Well you realize if you do, you're in love with a human right?"  
  
"I think I'd be slightly aware of that little fact idiot."  
  
"But you're okay with that? After all that junk about it being disgusting and what not?" Vash asked curiously.  
  
"I never said I'd be okay with it."  
  
"What ever happened to yes's and no's?"  
  
"They're far overrated." Knives gave his brother a look and Vash gave him one back.  
  
"We'd be competing for the same girl."  
  
"We would."  
  
They both spent awhile contemplating. 'Suppose he really does love Meryl too?' Vash asked himself. 'Do I dare tell him the truth?' Knives thought to himself. 'Nah.'  
  
"Oh and Knives, since you were able to apologize, I think I ought to do the same."  
  
This time Knives really wasn't clear on what apology was being addressed. "For what precisely?"  
  
"The bullets..."  
  
Knives frowned. "Well there is nothing you can do about it now. You're a broom head, and broom heads do stupid things like forgetting to take out bullets from their only family."  
  
"Yes, you see that's just the thing... I kind of left them in on purpose so you wouldn't heal instantly and take off before we had a chance to talk."  
  
"YOU WHAT!?"  
  
"Hey look! I think that's February!" Vash pointed at the very distance town up a head of them before taking off at a sprint, leaving his brother on the bird, unable to run after him.  
  
"Vash you get back here you...." Knives let out a number of curse words directed at his brother. "Just wait till I get my hands on you!" He yelled out, forcing his pain aside he made the Thomas start a gallop after his brother while the girls stayed behind laughing.  
  
-  
  
"I think things may be okay Meryl." Millie said with a laugh as she watched Knives gallop after a frantic Vash who was running for all he was worth.  
  
"Yes, I think so too." Meryl agreed with a smile. 'Still... putting what is happening right now aside, how am I ever going to face Knives?' She thought to herself.  
  
-  
  
A/N: Not too bad a chapter. It was a bit intense at some parts wasn't it? Well to give you a head up on the next chapter they will finally be in this town of February and Knives will finally be mobile again!  
  
Knives: It's about time!  
  
Author: Knives it WAS your own fault. You shouldn't have walked so many times. To my readers please review!  
  
Yours truly,  
F. Goddyss 


	7. Deep Forest

Fate of Awakening Love  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Trigun. Life is that cruel.  
  
A/N: Hello everyone! Long time no see right? Hehe. Well summer is here but that won't mean I'll be writing like mad. I'll try to but chances are that will not be happening. Thank you for all the AMAZING reviews! You're all the best and I love you for your sweet, sometimes demanding comments! It makes me really happy to read them and fuels me to keep going!  
  
BTW- To Libelia Inflata: You are the FIRST one to notice that the chapter titles are from the InuYasha soundtrack! YAY! (All except the first 2 anyway)  
  
To everyone else: Please Enjoy Chapter 8: Deep Forest!!  
  
-  
  
Vash continued to flee from his brother, who was quickly gaining up on him. While partially keeping an eye on Knives, the other part of his mind was focused on the town that lay ahead. It wasn't much further and he was excited at the prospect of what may lay ahead for all of them. While he kept his good optimistic outlook on the future he was quite hesitant to think of his own.  
  
'Will Meryl be apart of it?' He wondered to himself again. 'I've got to try to tell her that I love her again. Especially now that I know Knives may be interested her.' He couldn't help but to look back at the women he had grown to, maybe always, loved. Knives was quick to catch where his gaze landed.  
  
'Daydreaming about her again Vash?' Knives asked with suspicion dripping in his voice, invading Vash's personal thoughts as he always did.  
  
'Of course.' Vash smiled to himself. There was no more use in keeping his hidden feelings for Meryl from his brother any longer, but all the same he didn't feel the need to really discuss it with his him at the moment, especially given the situation he was dealing with at that moment. 'Could you do me a favor Knives, and stop running after me? I'm getting really tired.'  
  
Knives sneered at the thought. 'Sure brother and then after that we can talk of ways to preserve the human way of life."  
  
'Really?!" Vash mentally asked his sibling with evident hope.  
  
'No, not really, idiot! Herding you into this stupid human invested nest, is nothing compared to leaving these bullets in me!'  
  
-  
  
"Meryl, why do you suppose Mr. Knives is still chasing after Mr. Vash?" Millie asked her superior.  
  
Meryl sighed in annoyance. "Because they're both immature Millie, why else?"  
  
"Well do you think we ought to catch up with them? We're nearly at February."  
  
And so they were. Meryl noticed to herself. 'What'll happen when we get there?' She thought to herself. 'More and more people know what Vash looks like, and while he's not seen as the complete threat he used to be seen as, people are still very uncomfortable with him around. And what will people think of Knives. He looks so much like Vash, but no one knows anything about him... which is for the best when I think about it.' She sighed to herself.  
  
Right away her friend noticed. "What is it Meryl?"  
  
"Millie did you ever think to how we were going to explain Vash and Knives to these townspeople?"  
  
"What's to explain?" Millie asked while turning to gaze at the brothers. Knives was still riding the Thomas and having it chase after Vash with a rather cross face, and Vash was running in circles, waving his arms around yelling, trying to get him off his trail. He was failing miserably. Millie couldn't help but laugh at the sight. She turned back to Meryl who was also smiling at the two brothers.  
  
"Never mind it. They look like normal brothers from this viewpoint, don't they?" She asked still smiling.  
  
"Yeah... come on Meryl! Let's catch up to them! We'll enter this town together!" With a nod from Meryl, they sped the Thomas to catch up with Vash and Knives.  
  
-  
  
"Knives!" Meryl yelled. "Stop chasing after Vash!" Once it became clear what was really going n between the two, it was obvious it had to stop. After all, in order to avoid more questions, than usual, they had to look and act as normal as possible when they entered the tiny little town.  
  
Ignoring Meryl's command Knives continued the relentless pursuit of his brother. 'Who does she think she is?! Ordering me around like she's the superior one. Damn, I hate her.' He thought to himself.  
  
"That little demon flat out ignored me!" Meryl fumed.  
  
Millie laughed softly. "He may not be as vicious as he once was, but Mr. Knives is still rather arrogant."  
  
"He can arrogant this!" Taking out a small apple from the knapsack that lay hung to the side of the Thomas, Meryl hurled it, for all she was worth, hitting her target square in the head. "I said to knock off it Knives!"  
  
-  
  
Of course he felt it hit him in the head, but he couldn't believe it, and neither could Vash, who had taken that precise opportunity to look behind him.  
  
'That human bitch!' His mind screamed in anger. "How dare you, you little..." Before he could finish his sentence, Knives' body gave an uncontrolled jerk and he suddenly fell off the Thomas as an abrupt pain filled his mind.  
  
"Knives!" They all exclaimed in a gasp at once. Jumping off the bird she was sharing with Millie, Meryl ran over to Knives, Vash coming in the opposite direction and Millie close on Meryl's heel with the Thomas reins in her hand as she too, leaped off the large bird.  
  
"You couldn't have hit him that hard... could you?" Millie asked in alarming worry, once she had caught up.  
  
"I wouldn't think so." Meryl responded, bending down next to the wounded plant. It looked as if Knives was out cold. Out of the natural instinct she had gathered from all the weeks with Knives she reached her hand out to feel his forehead, but before she could feel, Knives hand shot up and grabbed her wrist.  
  
"Don't...touch me." He managed to gasp out, his eyes still closed.  
  
Swatting his hand away in exasperation she felt his head and sighed. "His fever is back."  
  
"You think that apple to his head re- triggered it?" Vash asked, watching Meryl and Knives closely.  
  
"Who knows? Let's just get him back on the Thomas and get to that town." With a nod from Mille and Vash, they preceded to February as soon as Vash lifted his brother back on the bird.  
  
Slumping forward against the neck of the Thomas with sweat spilling down his pained face; Knives tried his best to ignore the throbbing that was so clear in his head. With the hunt of his brother long forgotten, he allowed Vash to take the reins and lead the animal to the town that was so close he could already hear the voices of children in the distance.  
  
-  
  
'This is exactly what I didn't want.' Meryl thought as they entered the tiny place. Stares were aimed at them from every which direction. People had completely stopped what they were doing to take in the sight before them. 'And who wouldn't?' She continued to herself. 'Neither Millie, nor myself probably look all the put together from sleeping out in the desert last night. Vash looks haggard from being chased by Knives...and Knives.' She stopped to groan inwardly. 'He looks near death.'  
  
Before the quartet could get too much further into the town a boy, probably in his late teen years, approached them and stopped directly in front of their path.  
  
"Um... could we help you?" The boy asked, looking at all four of them closely. His eyes stopping on Knives. "Is he going to be alright?"  
  
"Actually that's the reason we're here." Vash said, handing the reins up to Meryl and stepping forward. "My brother needs medical attention at once."  
  
"Right..." He looked around at his fellow town members who stared back.  
  
"Pardon me for asking, I don't mean to be rude" Meryl interjected. "But is there someone... older we could talk to?"  
  
"If you wanted." The boy stated calmly. "But I'm the mayor of February, and I'm not as young as I look.... Now I don't mean to be offensive but is this Vash? Vash the Stampede?"  
  
Vash suddenly let out a loud laugh. "Me? Of course not! Besides I've heard Vash wears a signature red coat and as you can plainly see I'm wearing nothing of the sort!"  
  
Finally the "boy" smiled with a heavy sigh. "Of course. I'd forgotten. Sorry for asking, but you know how thing are these days. One just never knows when The Outlaw will stroll into their town. And ours is fairly new so we don't want any trouble. Now then." He clapped his hands together and the townspeople at once resumed what they had been doing before the newcomers had arrived.  
  
"I'll take to you to Neil's right away. He's our only doctor. Follow me."  
  
Walking in silence they stopped at a small building and tied the Thomas's to the post outside the building and walked in, Vash carrying his brother. The room they walked into was small and only held two chairs and a desk that was unoccupied. There was one other closed door next to the desk.  
  
"Neil! Hey Neil!" The mayor called out. They heard some fumbling, before a tall man with dark ash colored hair opened the door.  
  
"Couldn't you, you know, knock on the door, rather than yell?" He asked the mayor with obvious annoyance.  
  
The mayor chose to ignore that question. "Neil these folks are from out of town and this one..." He nodded his head at Knives. "Needs some medical attention."  
  
Neil looked closely at Knives. "Fine, you can go now toddler." He said pointedly to the mayor.  
  
The mayor narrowed his eyes at the man that was so much taller than him. With a twitch of the eye and turn of the heel, the mayor made his way out of the building. Muttering a barely audible, "enjoy you're stay" to Mille, Meryl and Vash. With a slight smirk the supposed doctor took out a cigarette, lit it and took a puff.  
  
He peered closely at Knives after exhaling the smoke from his lungs. "So what's wrong with him?" He asked to no one in particular.  
  
"He has some bullet wounds and a high fever." Meryl finally spoke. Neil turned to get a good look at her. 'She's a pretty one.' He thought to himself.  
  
"Who shot him?" He asked. With slight suspicion he watched as the three exchanged looks.  
  
"Vash the Stampede." Millie said with a slight amused smile.  
  
This time, Neil gave Millie a close look. 'She's pretty too, and tall as hell.' "I'm not going to bother asking how you got away from The Outlaw alive, but bring the injured one with me in the back."  
  
Still puffing on his cigarette, they all followed him. 'What kind of doctor smokes around a patient?!' Meryl wondered with a bit of anger brewing.  
  
Upon entering the brightly lit room, Vash was instructed to place Knives, who was awake, but far too weak to make a single comment, on a bed. Neil puffed on his cigarette again. "Where are the bullets?" He asked.  
  
"There's one in his thigh and one in his shoulder." Vash responded. "There might be more..."  
  
"You can't remember?" Neil asked. He sighed. "Never mind. I'll find them. You three can wait in the waiting room out front."  
  
Millie and Vash left immediately, allowing the doctor to get started. Meryl on the other hand cleared her voice and held out her hand, giving the doctor a Look.  
  
"What?" he asked.  
  
"The stick in your mouth if you don't mind. We don't want to have to come back here so Knives can get a lung transplant."  
  
"His name is Knives?"  
  
Meryl ignored the question. Taking it out of his mouth and looking at the cigarette with disappointed affection, he put it out and handed it to Meryl who tossed it in the garbage in the waiting room when she left.  
  
-  
  
Once everything was set out to a side metal table, Neil reached for a sharp scalpel and headed towards Knives shoulder. 'Damn, I wish we had the old technology for an X-ray. Here's hoping I don't fuck this up,' He thought to himself as he lifted the scalpel in the air as a toast to absolutely nothing and no one.  
  
-  
  
In the waiting room Millie was calmly sitting in one of the chairs while Meryl and Vash both paced around the room.  
  
"I'm sure Dr. Neil will be very careful with Mr. Knives." She said with a reassuring smile, a smile that would have reassured anyone else who wasn't so used to it.  
  
"That doctors an idiot!" Meryl said in aggravation. "He was smoking, AROUND Knives! Knowing the condition of his body! If I hadn't taken it from him, he'd probably smoke the entire way through the procedure!"  
  
"Knives will be okay right?" Vash wondered aloud, as if he hadn't heard Meryl.  
  
"I'm sure he'll be just fine Mr. Vash." Millie said gently.  
  
"Yeah... you don't think he'd hurt the doctor do you?" He continued.  
  
"I'm sure Mr. Knives..." Millie didn't finish her sentence as she thought of the type of plant Knives was.  
  
They all exchanged looks as Millie trailed off on her sentence. "Dr. Neil has a strong personality; I think he'd be able to handle Mr. Knives. Especially if you consider the state he's in, and will be in once this is all over." They nodded to themselves in false agreement.  
  
-  
  
'Ugh... I feel awful." Knives thought to himself in his comatose stage that the doctor had put him in. 'Where the hell am I anyway? And why can't I wake up?' Upon request, his mind started to fill him with the answers to his own questions. 'Right, now I remember. That wench threw an apple at me and now I'm under the care of some disgusting human vermin.'  
  
A sudden prick of pain came from his leg. 'What was that?' He wondered. He felt the pain again only this time it was more forceful. '.. This is starting to hurt....crap, I don't do pain. Woman, you're going to pay for this, I swe- OW!'  
  
Knives was interrupted by the pain exploding through his leg. It was painful enough that he was wrenched out of his semi- relaxed state and awoke on the bed and in the very middle of the procedure that Neil was performing.  
  
-  
  
Still heaved with anxiety over Knives condition, Vash ran a hand through his hair and looked at Meryl. While she was putting up an irritated front he could tell that she too, was worried about his brother. They all knew Knives was horrible with pain, and knew what could happen. They didn't know if the doctor would put Knives to sleep, and even if he did, Vash didn't imagine the doctor would know to put three times more the amount of meds to keep him asleep given his very non-human anatomy.  
  
-  
  
Nearly ready to tear her own hair out, Meryl finally sat down next to Millie and began tapping her finger, in impatience on her thigh, which Millie at once covered her hand with to stop. She gave her small friend a smile. "He'll be okay Meryl, don't worry so much. Why don't you comfort Mr. Vash?" She said quietly.  
  
Meryl looked over at Vash who was looking somewhat pale. "You're right Millie. Vash could need me." 'Wait, did I say that?' She thought to herself.  
  
Shaking it out of her head, she walked over to the blonde haired plant. "Hey Vash, doing okay?" She asked.  
  
He turned to face her with a tight and weak smile. "Yeah, it's just, you know, so many things could go wrong with handing Knives over to a human, that isn't you or Millie, and leaving him alone with the guy."  
  
Without thinking Meryl grabbed both of Vash's hands in her own. "Millie's right, you know. It'll all be okay." 'I hope.' She thought silently.  
  
Feeling Meryl's touch, Vash's mind raced back to the time in his room when Meryl had more or less, caressed the scars on his chest. 'No Vash!' He thought to himself. 'This isn't the time to be thinking about that.'  
  
Even so, Vash couldn't help the thumping that was his heart. Meryl hadn't been this close to him since that night, and it felt good to be able to get a close look at her and to smell the scent that was only her. He didn't even notice his head had started to move towards her until it was too late to pull back.  
  
-  
  
'What's he doing?!' Meryl asked herself in alarm as she noticed Vash's head was slowly moving towards her own. Her mind was whirling with things she should do: pull away, push him away, hit him...or, lean in as well.  
  
She watched, that as he got closer, his eyes started to close, and Meryl felt her own do the same. He was so close she could feel his breath against her skin and it created little shivers up and down her entire body. The kiss was so close her insides, as confused as they were, were anxious for it to happen, when they abruptly heard a deafening crash come from the other room.  
  
-  
  
Knives was fully awake now, and fully angered. He looked at the heap on the floor that was the human that had caused him pain. Dr. Neil was against the wall covered in water and was lighting another cigarette. Glancing up he noticed a small black cat on his windowsill, with its wide yellow eyes staring back down at him. With a slow exhale he covered the cats little face in smoke. With a small cough and a cat-like sneer the black cat jumped away. 'I hate cats.' Neil thought to himself.  
  
-  
  
Disengaging herself from Vash's aqua eyes, Meryl raced to the door, with Millie and Vash close behind her. Wrenching open the door she gawked at the sight before them. On the bed was Knives, his eyes narrowed and filled with more hatred than she had ever seen, aimed at Neil. Following Knives' looks she saw Neil scrunched up in a wet little ball smoking away, covered in metal medical supplies, and topped with a metal bowl lying limply on his head.  
  
"Knives! What did you do?" Meryl asked still staring wide eyed at the doctor.  
  
"I didn't do anything this man did not deserve, you human wench." Knives answered tersely.  
  
Millie watched as Meryl's fists creased into balls as she tried to control her anger. Millie walked over to Neil. "Are you alright Dr. Neil?" She asked, offering her hand to help him up. "What happened?" She added.  
  
Allowing Millie to help him up, he took a puff of his cig and exhaled in annoyance. "The little beast woke up as I was stitching up his last leg wound."  
  
Millie took the metal bowl off his head and placed it on the nearby counter.  
  
"Who are you calling a beast you inferior!" Knives growled to the doctor.  
  
"Calm down Knives, you'll only rip open your wounds. But I see your feeling better?" Vash asked with a relieved smile playing on his lips.  
  
Knives ignored his brother and attempted to stand, but sat back down when he felt a long rush of pain to his leg, and upon moving his shoulder, he felt pain there as well.  
  
"You don't expect to be able to move right away do you?" Neil asked with a smirk. "Your body is healing, give it 4 weeks and you should be okay. Until that time, stay in bed, but if you feel the absolute need to travel use a wheelchair. Even so, you are not permitted to wheel yourself since you'll only re-open the wound on your shoulder if you do."  
  
'So I'm no better than before.' Knives thought to himself in solemn anger.  
  
"Where exactly are we going to get a wheelchair?" Millie asked, looking at the doctor who shrugged.  
  
"How should I know? I'm a doctor, not a medical supplier." He responded in a dry tone. "At any rate, he's fine, so you can all get out of my work space. It's in complete disarray thanks to him."  
  
"Sorry about Knives behavior." Vash apologized for his brother sheepishly. "He's always been a bit difficult."  
  
"I can tell."  
  
Meryl, having been quiet since Knives' demeaning remark towards her, stepped forward. "How much do you we owe you?"  
  
"I don't suppose you have a lot of money?" He asked warily.  
  
"Not... really." Meryl responded.  
  
Neil exhaled some more smoke. 'They never do.' He thought to himself. "Forget it then."  
  
"Are you sure?" Millie asked surprised.  
  
"I'm sure; just get this menace to society out of here. I haven't got the time for people like him."  
  
Meryl, Vash and Millie turned their heads quickly to Knives, in order to view his response. However Knives didn't seem to be paying any attention to Neil. Instead his eyes were focused on Vash.  
  
-  
  
Knives hadn't meant, at that particular moment, to invade his brother's thoughts but he had, and he did not like what he saw. Vash's mind, while focused on what was happening that very moment, was also swimming with thoughts of Meryl and a kiss that had almost happened just before they had rushed into this room. He frowned.  
  
'Knives?' His brother asked mentally.  
  
"Let's go." The more violent of the brother said, surprising them all. His tone was unusual, nothing any of them had ever heard before.  
  
'He sounds almost jealous.' Meryl thought to herself.  
  
'But what could Mr. Knives be jealous of?' Millie continued in her own thoughts.  
  
A bell sounded off in Vash's head. "Knives have you been..."  
  
"I said LET'S GO!" He ordered loudly. They all jumped at the sound of his voice, but complied with its command.  
  
Without a wheelchair to place his brother in, Vash reluctantly picked up his brother and followed the girls out of the room.  
  
"Thank you Dr. Neil." Millie and Meryl said together quietly while leaving.  
  
"Yeah, yeah." He responded, eyeing the stricken group with slight interest. 'Hmm... glad I don't have to deal with that one.' He thought to himself staring at Knives who was avoiding the gaze of his companions with a look of pure resentment.  
  
-  
  
Finally being able to place his brother down on a bed of a hotel suite the four of them had rented out for a few nights, Vash backed away from him. Meryl and Millie watched from the door and together the three of them left the room into the adjoining living area. Once far enough away from his door they let out a huge sigh of relief together.  
  
"I haven't been this nervous around Knives in a while. I wonder what's gotten into him." Meryl questioned while taking the time to sit down on a couch. "I mean, at first I thought he was just in too much anger over his pain to talk but..." She sighed again. "It can't possibly be that. Otherwise he wouldn't be so hostile."  
  
"I know what you mean Meryl. I'm actually a little frightened of Mr. Knives again. That look in his eye... something's made his old bitterness return. Mr. Vash do you have any ideas?" She asked looking up at Vash who was standing against a wall with his arms folded and his head down.  
  
"I have an idea." He said quietly while looking up, to lock gazes with Meryl, who at once turned a deep crimson red. Noticing her red face made Vash's own turn the same shade.  
  
Feeling the atmosphere Millie stood. "I'll go see if anyone may have a wheelchair we can use for Mr. Knives. I'm sure he'll want to get some fresh air." Without waiting for a response from either of them she left the hotel room.  
  
In embarrassed and nervous silence, Meryl and Vash avoided the eyes of one another. 'This is dumb.' Meryl thought to herself. We're both adults.' "Vash?" She asked a loud.  
  
He immediately turned to look at her. "Yes Meryl?"  
  
Meryl began twisting her fingers together. "About what happened in Dr. Neil's office....I umm... well..."  
  
"Yes?" He prodded her.  
  
"Uh, well..." She suddenly stood. "Never mind, I'd better go check on Knives." Not looking at Vash, she hurriedly rushed passed him and went into Knives' room, closing the door behind her. Leaning against the door she tried to gain control of her breathing that had for some reason quickened its pace. 'Idiot!' She thought to herself. 'I can't believe I couldn't bring myself to ask about that, would've been, kiss. You can't avoid this forever Meryl.'  
  
"Why cant you?" Knives suddenly spoke, looking out his window and away from Meryl who had unexpectedly entered his room.  
  
"Huh?" Meryl asked, opening her eyes and realizing she was in the presence of Knives.  
  
"You know what I think you ought to do?" He continued.  
  
"Ought to do about what?" She asked confused, not aware that Knives knew about the kiss she and Vash almost shared.  
  
"I think you ought to forget about Vash, and go after me." He stated his voice barely above a whisper.  
  
-  
  
A/N: How'd you like it? I originally told myself that I wouldn't be inventing any new characters that had more than a few necessary lines but.... I changed my mind. I hope no one minds the new intrusion of Doctor Neil to the story because I'm not changing a thing! Though I'm unsure at the moment if I want to keep him. Should I keep him around more? Or call his character a day and only have him in this chapter?  
  
Who knows? Anyway, I realize this chapter kind of veered off the whole K/M/V thing but I need filler! I was running out of ideas for the story and I must have it at 12 chapters. Why, you may be asking? I don't really know, but that number has been set in my mind since I first started this fan fic. Besides you got a little bit of a moment with Vash and Meryl, and you know there will be one between Knives and Meryl in the next chapter.  
  
Knives: ... am I honestly going to be falling for that human?  
  
Author: Who knows Knives... who knows. Please Read and Review!  
  
Yours truly,  
F.G. 


	8. Fate of Awakening Love

Fate of Awakening Love  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Trigun. Life is that cruel.  
  
A/N: Thank you for all the reviews! Remember how I said something about a K/M moment? Well its so slight I wouldn't even call it a moment. Sorry! I think my chapters are getting longer and longer. I hope no one minds. And just for the record, I wouldn't call this chapter my best work.  
  
-  
  
'I wonder if I've given Mr. Vash and Meryl enough time to work things out.' Millie thought to herself as she walked through the small town. 'And I wonder if such a small town could really carry something as rare as a wheelchair.'  
  
With the hot suns blazing down on her, she decided to get a drink from one of the local stores. Entering the first one she came across, all eye's turned towards her, and she stared back with a wide smile and gleaming eyes. "Hello! My name is Millie Thompson." She said in her booming, but cheerful voice.  
  
Turning back to what they were all doing, the townspeople in the small shop ignored Millie. With slight curiosity she let the people go on about their business and began looking at the options they had available for drinks, when a tall man with dark ash colored hair caught her eye.  
  
"Dr. Neil!" Millie exclaimed in excitement, and walked over to the man who was slumped in the corner covering his left side with one of his hands. The other was holding a cigarette, which of course, he was smoking.  
  
-  
  
Looking over at the direction he heard his name called his eyes fell on Millie. 'Oh. Her.' He thought to himself. Turning away, pretending he didn't hear her, and he hoped she hadn't noticed him look towards her, he continued to smoke and look off in the opposite direction.  
  
"Didn't you hear me call your name Dr. Neil?" Millie asked as she approached the doctor.  
  
"I heard, and what I'm doing is called ignoring. Take the hint." He said dryly.  
  
Deciding not to take the hint, Millie sat down next to him with a smile. "It sure is a beautiful day isn't it?" She asked. Responding with a grunt, Millie continued. "As soon as I can find a wheelchair, I think Meryl, Mr. Vash and I should take Mr. Knives out for a stroll. He could use the fresh air."  
  
'She sure is irritating.' Neil thought to himself. 'Why do I have to be a curious man by nature?' He groaned inwardly. "Speaking of your Mr. Knives how is he?" He asked as he finally turned his head slightly so that he was able to see her through his peripheral vision.  
  
"Being very quiet." Mille responded with slight worry lines forming on her cheeks.  
  
'He did seem like that type.' Neil thought to himself. "Too bad for you and your friends." As he stood slowly, Millie glanced at his free hand. It was still clamped tightly to his side.  
  
"Dr. Neil, what's wrong with your side?"  
  
He sighed to himself. 'Almost a clean get-a-way.' "I'm icing it." He removed his hand to show her the ice, he was holding, then placed it back down oh his side. "Your friend's really strong, you know that? Too strong for an ordinary, supposed hurt, human. Gave me one hell of a pounding." With a knowing gleam in his eye, Neil walked away from Millie and out of the store.  
  
'Could he know Mr. Knives isn't human?' Millie asked herself wondrously and amazement as she watched him go.  
  
-  
  
Vash stood, staring at the door Meryl went through. 'Knives' room.' He thought to himself. Deciding not to pursue her, he walked over to the bay window that looked east and over the entire small town. 'How long can I do this? How long can I go on without my heart bursting? How can I make Meryl mine?'  
  
Still looking out the window Vash saw Neil and impulsively ran out of the room in order to catch up with him. "Doctor! Hey! Doctor!" Vash yelled, running after him.  
  
'You've got to be kidding me. Another one of those newcomers? Can't they leave me alone?' Neil thought to himself as he stopped walking to wait for Vash. 'Don't think it'd work to ignore this one either.'  
  
"What is it?" He asked Vash.  
  
"I just wanted to thank you. For what you did for my brother Knives. I didn't really get the chance earlier, with the tension in the air."  
  
"It was thick, and don't thank me. I'm a doctor, that's what I'm supposed to do." Neil simply responded.  
  
"Yeah..." Vash thought back to reason of the tension, and looked off.  
  
Neil, carefully eyed Vash. "It's the petite raven haired one isn't it? The women both you and your brother are in love with?"  
  
"Huh!?" Vash twisted his head back at the doctor. "What... how did you...?"  
  
Neil shrugged. "I'm perceptive. Here's my only advice for you, and know I don't always give the best advice. After this, I'm going about my business and you are to leave me alone. You seem close to your brother, even if he doesn't feel the same way about you. Think now, does that woman make him happy? Now, does she make you happy? Given the idea that I don't know how this woman feels about either of you consider this: Would you be able to let her go, if she'd have your brother, in order to ensure his happiness over your own?"  
  
Neil watched as Vash's eyes glazed over as he thought about this. 'Poor sap.' Neil thought. "I'll stop by in a 4 weeks to check on your brother. I'll see you Vash."  
  
Vash's thoughts were barely present to nod in response to Neil's last comment towards him. He felt Neil whisk by him, then like a gust of wind something about what the doctor had said snapped his thoughts back into the real world. "I never told him my name." He said a loud to himself.  
  
-  
  
Meryl stood gaping at Knives.  
  
"Well don't you have anything to say?" He asked, turning his head to look at hers.  
  
"...go after...you?" Meryl continued to stare at the bedridden plant before her.  
  
"I don't remember stuttering." Knives told her dryly.  
  
"Yeah right Knives, that's not funny at all." She said more to herself than him.  
  
"Who's laughing? Are you honestly that surprised that I would ask you to go after me, versus my stupid brother? I said that other night that I wanted you. Did you think I was joking? That wouldn't be something to joke about." He continued.  
  
Meryl, still leaning against the door, felt her body slide down and onto the floor as the disbelief flooded her brain. "You are joking. You hate humans. You want to destroy us." She murmured.  
  
"I never said I hated or that I wanted to destroy you. At any rate don't think I'm happy about it. After all you're just a human." He said, eyeing her closely. "Don't you have anything more relative to say about it?"  
  
'What am I supposed to say?' Meryl wondered to herself. 'I've been dreading this conversation since that night in the desert sand formations when he first said it, and to think he's serious. But why me?'  
  
"Why, I don't really know either. You don't think I meant for this to happen do you? Maybe it's because you don't seem quite like the other humans. You're not weak, and you don't frighten easy." He said aloud.  
  
'I just put on a good front.' Meryl reflected to herself, vaguely aware that Knives was reading her thoughts, since she said none of this aloud.  
  
"Even if it is only a front, you play it well. Also there is the fact that you're so desirable to consider." The plant continued.  
  
"Knives you're a murderer, why would I... why would I want to go after someone... like you?" She finally spoke to him without saying it in her thoughts.  
  
Knives narrowed his eyes to tiny little slits, giving her a menacing look, even though she had taken to grabbing her legs and looking off, doing her best to avoid his boring eyes. "One can hardly help, who one becomes." He said without a trace of guilt.  
  
She looked up at him with hurt eyes. "Knives! You've killed so many people and put the blame on your brother. He's had to live with your guilt forever. How can you say one cant help who, one becomes? People have control of their own decisions. You didn't have to kill all those people, you chose to!"  
  
"Just like mankind didn't have to put the pain and agony on plants! Are you saying your human methods are not killing _my_ kind?!"  
  
Meryl stood. "I don't want to be having this conversation. You won't change, and I can't change what other people do."  
  
Knives thrust his head away from her. 'How could I be so damn blind?! She's not at all different. She's like all the other humans. Selfish and thinks only of what's good for her, and her kind. How could I have ever wanted her?! Let her and Vash be together. I hope they rot in hell as one.'  
  
Meryl looked at Knives' angry face that was turned away from her and against her own better judgment she took a few steps away from the door and to the edge of his bed, when the door opened itself with bang. Meryl looked at the door in surprise, turning back to Knives; she realized he had done it. A sign to get out, and to get away from him. She took it.  
  
-  
  
When both Millie and Vash finally returned they saw Meryl silently eating a bowl of soup. Not speaking they all grabbed their own bowl and sat down at the table to eat alongside her.  
  
"Has Mr. Knives eaten?" Millie asked quietly.  
  
Meryl shook her head. "Could you get him some food Millie?"  
  
Both Vash and Millie looked at Meryl in surprise. She had always gotten Knives' food, even when they weren't getting along that well. But without questioning, Millie did as Meryl asked her.  
  
-  
  
As the weeks went by, the quartet stayed in February and awaited for the time the Dr. Neil would come and check up on Knives. Since those weeks ago, Meryl hadn't once entered Knives room or spoke about him and Knives was the same. Most of the time the hotel suite they had rented out was quiet. They didn't talk to each other much, and Meryl made a point of working most of the day for some extra unneeded cash. Not even Millie and Meryl shared their usual detailed conversations anymore.  
  
Both Vash and Meryl hadn't mentioned that almost kiss and it didn't seem they were ever going to. There was a large grey cloud lingering over their heads that was caused by awakening love and it didn't seem any of them realized this or knew what to do about it.  
  
-  
  
A knock on the door startled Meryl, Vash and Millie as they had been used to the quietness. Meryl stood to answer it.  
  
"Dr. Neil, come in please." She stated softly allowing the doctor to get by as she closed the door behind him.  
  
Millie too stood. "Mr. Knives is in the left bedroom." She said with a very weak smile.  
  
Neil looked at the group around him. Meryl was looking down and rubbing a non- existent itch on her shoulder, Vash was standing, leaning against a wall with his eyes half closed and was staring out the bay window, and while Millie looked the liveliest, even her aura had been mellowed.  
  
"The little bastard didn't die did he?" Neil asked, interrupting the silence he found incredibly annoying.  
  
Millie let out something with a mixture of a sigh and a laugh. "Of course not. You can see for yourself if you'd like."  
  
Neil nodded, but hesitantly, as he stared at Knives' closed door. He watched Vash stand to a full right position. "Don't worry; I'll be in there with you this time."  
  
'Jeez, these three sure are a load of laughs today.' Neil thought to himself as he followed Vash into Knives' room. He noticed that as Vash shut the door he sat down on a chair that was beside it, and didn't once glance at his brother.  
  
'What the hell got into him? That's why I don't give advice.' With a sigh, Neil advanced towards Knives who was wide awake and was looking at the ceiling.  
  
-  
  
Out in the living area, Meryl and Millie were seating on the couch reading.  
  
With an exasperated sigh, Millie threw down her book. "What's the matter Millie?" Meryl asked her friend, who so rarely got annoyed or irritated in any way.  
  
"What's the matter with _me_ Meryl? What's the matter with you? And Mr. Vash? And Mr. Knives? What's wrong with all of you? I've never been in group that was ever so quiet! And what makes it worse, is that you won't confide in me Meryl! I thought we were good friends? We've always been there for each other."  
  
"Millie, I..."  
  
They were interrupted from another knock on the door. Giving her friend an apologetic look, Meryl answered the door to see one of the front desk receptionists.  
  
"Meryl Stryfe and Millie Thompson?" The woman questioned.  
  
Millie stood and walked to the door besides Meryl, as she heard her name. "Yes?" They both responded together.  
  
"A letter came for the both of you." The woman said and handed Meryl the letter.  
  
"Thank you." The responded again in unison and shut the door.  
  
"Whose it from Meryl?" Millie asked, looking over her partner's shoulder.  
  
"It's from Bernadelli, I think." Meryl said slowly as she opened the letter and read its contents. When she was finished she looked up at Millie with a perplexed expression.  
  
"What is it? What does the boss want?" Millie asked.  
  
"According to him, two weeks ago there was a meeting, discussing the terms of Vash."  
  
"And?" Millie prodded her friend.  
  
"And, it's been decided that he's no longer an outlaw. The $$60,000,000,000 bounty on his head has been withdrawn and the boss says that because if this, our job is finished and that we are to report back to headquarters immediately."  
  
"What?" Millie said softly.  
  
"We have to go back Millie. Since Vash is no longer a threat, he is no longer our problem. He's free."  
  
The two insurance girls exchanged looks and turned their heads to the door, a door that led to Neil, Knives and the former Outlaw.  
  
-  
  
'Look at that.' Neil thought to himself. 'He must have been completely healed weeks ago.' "How long have you been aware of your own condition?" Neil asked aloud.  
  
When he didn't respond, Neil looked at Vash. "Your brother is completely healed. With the exception of some barely visible scars, you wouldn't even know he had been shot or immobile for so long."  
  
"What?!" Vash stood and looked over at his brother who was still lying down, but now his expressionless face was covered in a darkened smirk.  
  
They both watched as Knives swung his legs over the bed and stood up to stretch. "I've been in a bed far too long."  
  
"Knives, how long have you been better?" Vash asked his brother.  
  
"It's a recent devolvement, brother. I assure you."  
  
"Please leave Dr. Neil and thank you again." Vash said quietly. "For everything." He added to the man was who was already walking out the door and closing it behind him.  
  
-  
  
Meryl and Millie turned their heads when the door to Knives' room was opened, and Neil walked out.  
  
"Before you ask, don't. I highly doubt I'm the one who should fill you two in on these turn of events. Nick was right. You three have way too many problems. The first one being you travel with Vash the Stampede, the second being him and his brother. I mean, walking around Gunsmoke with plants?!" Neil shook his head and started to walk out of their hotel room, but was blocked by Mille.  
  
"You knew the Priest?" Meryl asked softly, eyeing Millie.  
  
"Unfortunately, I'm his cousin, not that he ever figured that out, and what do you mean knew?" Neil asked his curiousity getting the better of him again.  
  
"Mr. Wolfwood was killed... a while ago." Millie said in a whisper with a small tear forming on her right eye.  
  
Caught off guard with Millie's answer, Neil dropped his medical bag in shock. Seeing Neil alarmed for the first time, both Millie and Meryl gave him a surprised look. "Well, can't say that I wasn't expecting to hear that rather soon." He said, picking up his bag slowly. Combing one of his hands through his hair he let out a depressed sigh. "I have another appointment; I must be on my way."  
  
"Wait!" Meryl exclaimed. "Don't you want to know what happened?"  
  
"Why would I want to know the morbid details? No, besides I have a fair idea. I never did trust the man who took him in." Without another word, Neil swept past them and out of the room.  
  
"... Meryl?" Millie trailed off.  
  
Meryl gave her tall, gentle friend a hug. "He did look a little familiar."  
  
"He did." She responded.  
  
"Do you maybe want to go after him? To ask him more questions perhaps?" Meryl asked, releasing the hug so she could get a proper look at Millie.  
  
Shaking her head, Millie walked over to the bay window and saw that Neil had walked into an alleyway. He was crouched down on the side of one of the buildings and was smoking a cigarette. A tear slid down his face as he inhaled the fumes.  
  
-  
  
Back in the other room, Knives and Vash were having their own conversation while Neil, Millie and Meryl had their own.  
  
"Have a seat Vash, before you get yourself worked out over nothing." Knives said.  
  
"No thanks. I like standing."  
  
"I said sit." Knives commanded, and Vash found himself sitting in a seat, something he knew he didn't do himself.  
  
"Knives...." Vash growled.  
  
"As you can see, not only am I better physically, I am mentally as well. Now that I'm restored to my original health, I'll be leaving you and your spiders."  
  
"Spiders?" Vash's eyes widened in horror. "When did you start calling the Insurance Girls, spiders again?"  
  
"They always were spiders Vash; I just had a moment of insanity, thanks to you of course. But now that I'm back to my normal self I'm going to finish what I started from the day I killed all those worthless humans on Project SEED." Knives said, his eerie calmness coming back. "I don't suppose you've come to your own senses and are ready to join me?"  
  
"Never." Vash seethed out.  
  
"Pity. Brother's can always work wonders together." Knives started to walk towards his brother who was unintentionally walking away from him. When Vash bumped into the door, he pulled the last thing he could think of, to stop his brother who was rapidly returning to the way he used to be.  
  
"What about Meryl, Knives? You can't leave her. You love her."  
  
Vash thought he saw a flicker of softness emerge from his brother, but it quickly disappeared before he could register it entirely.  
  
"...Never did I say I loved her." Knives responded staring down his brother.  
  
"Maybe you never said you did, but you do, don't you?" Vash continued.  
  
"She is no better than the rest of her species'. Get out of my way Vash."  
  
"Not while your bent on destroying mankind again. I won't let you Knives. I stopped you before, I can do it again."  
  
"Who said I was off to destroy mankind? While yes, that is on the "to do" list, I have no intention on fulfilling their destiny at this precise moment. I have other things on my mind."  
  
"Like what?" Vash asked.  
  
"My curiosity has gotten the better of me and I must find out where all those people disappeared to in that last town we were in. It certainly wasn't me and I must know who was behind it. Now let me pass."  
  
Vash gripped the door handle so Knives couldn't. "Promise me you won't hurt anyone, if I do."  
  
Knives sneered. "Fine. I promise. But is my word, really enough to satisfy you?"  
  
"You're my brother Knives. And while you haven't made the best decisions, I've never known you to a break a promise of mine...recently... and... I trust you now."  
  
Knives gave his brother a lofty look before Vash moved aside and let Knives open the door and walk out into the living area. Following his brother he was met with gasps as Meryl and Millie gazed upon the healthy Knives.  
  
Ignoring their presences, Knives continued to walk past them and out the door.  
  
"He's perfectly healed?" Meryl asked, speaking in reference to Knives for the first time in weeks.  
  
Vash nodded grimly. Without waiting for further explanation, the three of them trudged after Knives who was already walking down the dirt street.  
  
"There's something you two should also know about Knives now." Vash said.

"And what's that Mr. Vash?" Millie asked.  
  
"Knives seems to have reverted to his old self again."  
  
"What do you mean, reverted?" Meryl asked dumbly.  
  
They turned to watch Knives, as a small red ball rolled into him.  
  
"Hey Mr.! Could you throw us our ball back please?" One of the kids who were playing with it asked.  
  
Knives picked up the ball and examined it before looking over at the children. With a defiant smirk he popped the ball with one hand before tossing it back at them. Scoffing at the children's shocked expressions Knives continued to walk, the townspeople making sure to stay out of his way. Which made no difference as Knives raised his right hand ever so slightly, and everyone in the town fell on the hard hot sandy ground. Some were even thrown a small distance; the only one who wasn't touched at all, was Meryl.  
  
"I see..." Meryl said, staring at Knives as he walked off laughing to himself.  
  
-  
  
A/N: I've spoiled you all. Giving you a second chapter so soon, now you'll have to wait 3 months for chapter 10. Totally kidding. Originally I was never really going to mention Wolfwood at all; in fact I wasn't originally going to do a lot of things now that I think about it, but I LOVE Wolfwood and thought it only fair that I should at least mention him. Well I hope you all liked this one. I know I had fun writing it.  
  
Knives: I knew I'd never fall for something as inferior as a human. ::spits out::  
  
Author: Suppose you're only in denial Knives. Ever thought of that? Besides, if Meryl doesn't take you, I will!  
  
Knives: yeah, we'll see about that one.  
  
Author: Read and review! ::drags Knives away::  
  
Yours truly,  
F. Goddyss 


	9. Never Ending Dream

Fate of Awakening Love

Disclaimer: I do not own Trigun. Life is that cruel.

A/N: Sigh. I'm so sorry everyone. I joked in the last chapter that I'd have this one up three months later, and it nearly has been. I've been really absorbed in my other Trigun story and had another bit of writers block for this one. With the ending fast approaching, I have some things to wrap up, but I don't want to do it in a rushed manner.

I might as well tell you all that I already plan to do a version of a sequel for this story. You'll find out later why I call it a "version". Well, thank you for all the reviews and a **special thank you** to those reviewers who have R & R'd 'Silent Pretense'. Please enjoy this chapter update!

-

"Are you both alright?" Meryl asked as she helped Millie and Vash up. Around her, others were righting themselves in bewilderment, rubbing necks, arms, and heads. Anything that hurt.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Vash responded shaking off an oncoming headache.

"Me too." Millie added. "Should we be going after Mr. Knives?" Both Millie and Vash turned to look at Meryl.

"Why are you looking at me?! How should I know?" She asked them. Millie and Vash exchanged looks but said nothing in response.

Separating to help others around them up, they took in the damage they hadn't noticed before. A few building were crumbling and some Thomas's were running around loose. It seemed some people were more hurt than others. A record number of broken bones was recorded from the people who had been thrown by Knives.

'Damn you Knives.' Vash thought to himself in silent fury.

Most of the townspeople were headed in one direction, towards Dr. Neil's office.

"Don't bother." Neil's voice rang over the confused mystified murmurs of the crowd. With the obvious exception of Vash, Millie and Meryl, no one knew what had happened or what had caused the unwelcome commotion.

"What do you mean Neil?" Asked the young mayor whom the Trigun crew hadn't seen since the day they first arrived in February.

Neil lit a cigarette as he walked down from the porch of the Fourth Moon saloon. "I mean don't bother. I can't do anything about your wounds and broken bones."

"Why not?!" Cried out one woman.

Everyone eyed her and the doctor answered calmly. "I haven't got any medical supplies. They're all missing."

Alarm went through the tiny town as Millie, Meryl and Vash looked at each other, knowing exactly what happened to them.

"Well what do we do?" The mayor asked.

Neil chewed on the butt of his cigarette. "Make do with what's around you. If you have broken limbs, tie a board to them to keep them straight. If you've got cuts and scraps, clean it off with ordinary water and lye soap. Bandage wounds, with pieces of cloth from your clothes. Understand?"

The people nodded obediently.

"I suppose if you feel you're really dying I could take a look at you. I probably couldn't do much, but I could give an evaluation." He continued, and everyone started walking towards him.

"I take it back. Unless you've got a gunshot wound in your head, you can deal with yourselves. Help each other out. If your hands not broken help someone whose hand _is _broken."

Everyone took off, following Neil's advice. Walking through the town nodding his approval at people he met up with Meryl, Vash and Millie who were already busy helping others since they were in perfect condition.

"You three." He looked pointedly at them. "Come with me." They followed without protest around a corner of one of the buildings that was crumbling because of Knives.

"Let me guess," he started. "Knives did all this?"

While Meryl and Millie nodded, Vash looked at him dumbfounded. Millie noticed right away and remembered that Vash didn't know Neil was Wolfwoods cousin or that Wolfwood had told him all about them, so she quickly explained.

"So now what are you going to do? Are you going to go after him?" Neil asked.

"We haven't decided." Vash answered.

"Well I have." Meryl stated firmly. "And we're leaving tomorrow morning! We'll stay the rest of the day here to help with clean up and first-aid."

Millie cheered. "Good plan Meryl!"

"Are you sure you want to give that nutcase such a head start?" Neil asked them.

Meryl sighed. "I especially want to give him a head start, to give him time alone." She said quietly.

"Dr. Neil!" Someone shouted out.

Neil groaned. "These people can't do a damn thing by themselves." Grumbling he walked off and the others got back to work.

-

While they were concerning themselves with the townspeople, Knives was just getting over his laughing fit and was reflecting on the mess he left behind.

'Nothing over the top, but it was a refreshing bit of fun.' He thought to himself half amused. But the smirk that was on his face faded when he thought of the look he had seen on Meryls. When he had been far way enough that she wouldn't see him, he had glanced back. She wasn't happy.

'Not that I care.' He scoffed to himself. Knives shifted his mind to the empty town that wasn't even a few days walk away now that he was better. He grinned to himself. Of _course_ he had been the one to empty it, of its people. Who else could have done such a thing?

'They're far too gullible." He thought. 'They wouldn't have approved my reasoning behind it.'

The idea to empty the town had come natural to him. He'd already done it once before, why not again? Though this time it wasn't as a warning to his brother. This time he cleared it because he had been thinking ahead. When he realized that his wounds wouldn't be healing quickly he set is mind at work.

He imagined that when he had gotten better he'd want somewhere to think, somewhere to be alone and plan his next actions. Naturally he couldn't do that if humans were around, so he would get rid of them. He could have easily created a small geo plant, but he didn't know how fast his mind would recover, and it took every cell in his brain to create such a place.

As to where all the humans went once he got rid of them? Well, that would always be his little dark secret.

-

With night falling on February Vash, Meryl and Millie retreated to the room they rented and began packing for the next morning. When they had finished they gathered into the bay window area.

"And I was hoping we could all stay here for awhile longer." Millie said wistfully.

"In what? Quiet peacefulness?" Meryl scoffed. "I don't think I know how to do that anymore. Besides after all that running after Vash and risking our lives nearly everyday, and then looking after Knives, how could we go back to an ordinary existence?"

"That's true." Millie smiled thoughtfully.

"I didn't mean to burden your girls' lives." Vash said quietly.

"Oh Vash, quit moping. We said we don't mind." Meryl replied.

"It's so good to see you in cheerful spirits again Meryl!" Millie went. "You'd been so withdrawn; I didn't know what was bothering you."

"What has been bothering you Meryl?" Vash asked. "It's something to do with Knives isn't it? You weren't really the same after coming out of his room that day."

Meryl hesitated. She considered lying but didn't want to keep it to herself any longer. She explained the conversation she had, had with Knives. That he had asked her to go after him and how she responded and how it lead into a small argument.

Seeing their gaping faces she went on, determined now to tell them everything. She explained the first time it sort of sparked. All those times they had been alone together, and of course that fateful night they had slept under the stars and the moons in the desert heading towards February.

"...he said that he'd never kill me because he wanted me." She shook her head. "I was shocked beyond belief, I mean this is Knives."

"What did you say back to him?" Vash asked carefully.

"I didn't say anything. I was too stupefied."

Vash leaned back in his chair. "I can't believe my brother came right out and told you how he felt about you." 'How'd he get the courage to do it before I did?!' He thought to himself.

"Do... do you think he was being honest with me?" She asked.

Vash gave her a surprised look. "Of course. Knives still hate humans, you saw that display today, and yet he somehow fell in love with you despite his beliefs. He wouldn't lie about something like this." Vash shook his head. "Not anything like this."

"I always thought Mr. Knives had started to love you Meryl." Millie exclaimed.

"So did I." Vash said with the faintest drop if sadness in his voice.

Meryls eyes widened in surprise. "What are you two talking about?! He never said that! All he said was that he wanted me and that I should go after him..."

Meryl left out the part that Knives had also said to go after him versus Vash. That much, she felt, should stay between her and Knives.

"...it didn't sound like a declaration of love to me." She continued.

"I imagine that's the best Mr. Knives could do." Millie said gently.

"And I agree." Vash added.

Meryl stood. "You're both wrong. Let's just go to bed. We have a long day ahead of us." Meryl walked out of the room and into the bathroom, leaving Vash and Millie behind.

"You'd better tell her you love her soon Mr. Vash." Millie said softly, so Meryl couldn't hear in the bathroom.

Vash turned to her. "Maybe not..." He said equally softly.

"But you do love her don't you?"

"You know I do. More than anything and it only grows the longer I delay telling her. And I did try... once."

Millie gave him a sideways curious look.

He gave a half laugh. "That same night that Knives told her he wanted her."

"Why didn't you follow through with it?" Mille asked.

"We got interrupted when my brother stirred awake. Meryl rushed to his side, and by the time she was done looking after him, I'd lost my nerve."

"Oh, I'm sorry Mr. Vash, but that's no reason you shouldn't try again."

"Isn't it? Don't you think she loves him back Millie?"

Millie didn't say anything for a moment. "Meryl does care about his well being, and she's not very open with her emotions. She can be a hard book to read."

"I know, but we both know she loves Knives. Even if she doesn't, it's just not on her conscious level yet."

Millie gave Vash a sad smile. "Could you really live without telling her how you feel? Even if she doesn't give you the same feelings? After all you two did almost kiss in Dr. Neil's office the day we took Knives in."

Vash grinned at the thought, but it lessened. "Do you think if we had, it would have changed her feelings?"

Millie shook her head. "I think it only would have confirmed what she didn't even know. You should have taken her when you had the chance."

Vash laughed and Millie joined in. "Yeah, you're probably right."

"Are you going to be okay Mr. Vash?" Millie asked as Vash stood.

"Yeah, and who knows, if Meryl returns his feelings he could change for the better, for her sake."

Millie gave him a small smile and nodded, watching as Vash headed into his room for the night. She let a heavy sigh escape her lips. "Would you have seen this one coming Nick?" She asked out loud, gazing at her ceiling.

-

While Meryl showered and washed her hair she thought of what Vash and Millie had said. "No he couldn't possibly love me. The idea is simply ridiculous." Meryl repeated her mantra over and over again, so much that as Vash walked by the bathroom he heard her. He only smiled and walked into his room only to remember a while later that he had left something in Meryl and Millie's room from when they were packing earlier.

Walking into the room quietly, Millie was already asleep; he walked over to the desk, where he had last seen his cinnamon donut. He gave a slight sound of disappointment when he saw it was in the garbage. About ready to reach in and grab it anyway a letter from Bernadelli on Meryl's desk caught his eye. He picked it up curiously and read its contents.

-

When the entire group had finally settled in their beds and had fallen asleep Vash woke and gathered his worn brown bag. Tiptoeing to the front door, about ready to leave, the ceiling light flicked on and he turned guiltily to gaze at an annoyed Meryl.

"Where do you think you're going in the middle of the night?" She asked.

"Um, the bakers?" He tried to give a lie.

"With your bag? At 1:30 in the morning? Don't think its open yet Vash."

"Err, yeah..." he trailed off. "I didn't mean to wake you."

"I never went to sleep." She held up a letter that Vash instantly recognized as the one he had wrote earlier to the Insurance Girls that very evening.

"So you think you can go after Knives alone do you?"

"Yes because you shouldn't. I found the note from Bernadelli."

Finally Meryl looked off guard. "We never got around to telling you." She said quietly.

"It's okay. A lot's happened today. But now you two have to stop following me, bosses orders right?"

"Millie and I already talked about it. We're not going back, even if it means losing our jobs."

Vash looked surprised. "Why? Worried about my brother I suppose?" He couldn't help adding.

Meryl's eyes cast downwards. "More than I thought I would." She looked back up. "But that's not the only reason. We've been with you through thick and thin, this isn't a job for us anymore Vash. You're our closest friend, we'd never let you down. We'd follow you to the ends of the world, if it meant keeping you."

Vash stared carefully at the women he loved. She was smiling the kindest one he had ever seen her give, and yet it was to a dear friend, and that's all he would be to her. With that now understood and fully confirmed in his mind, he figured this was a good a time as any to let her know how he really felt about her.

"Meryl, I..."

She cut him off. "I know Vash." She said quietly, her smile disappearing.

"Maybe so, but I have to say it anyway for my own peace of mind." He took a deep breath and closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened them, Meryl was still standing there, waiting patiently.

"Meryl, I'm so much in love with you."

"Vash..." She trailed off, unable to think of a suitable reply. She took a few steps toward him, thinking, then a few more before lifting herself on her toes to give him a gentle kiss on the forehead.

She suddenly felt his arms around her in a tight hug. She melted into his hug and embraced him back.

"I'm sorry I didn't figure it out sooner." She heard him mumble into her hair. They released each other and Vash took a step back. "Maybe if I had you'd be in love with me and not my brother?"

Meryl let out a short laugh. "Probably." Then she shook her head. "You don't seem too crushed though."

"I only want you to be happy, and of course I wish every night for Knives' happiness, as long as it doesn't include the mass murder of your race." Meryl laughed again and this time Vash joined in.

"Ah, Vash I don't know how it happened. How did I fall for your brother?" She shook her head again. "I realized it in the shower."

Vash shrugged. "We can't help who we fall for right? Isn't that the cliché?" She nodded in response. "I guess since you love him, we'll all have to go after him together wont we?"

"Guess so." She smiled at him again and he returned it.

-

They all got up early the next morning ready to go after Knives. Thanking the hotel for letting them stay there so long they headed into the still deserted streets of February. At the city limits stood Dr. Neil and for once he wasn't smoking.

"You came to see us off Dr. Neil?" Millie asked excitedly.

"Something like that." He said tiredly. 'Did they have to leave this ruddy early in the morning?' He thought to himself.

"Thanks for everything Neil." Vash said.

Meryl nodded in agreement. "Yes, thank you."

"I really didn't do much." He responded.

"You did a lot." Vash continued. "Helped with my brother, gave me a bit of advice and now you're helping to restore order to this town. Sounds like a lot to me."

"I suppose, well I'm about ready to fall asleep here, I only came to say goodbye. Tell your psycho half I said hello." He said to Vash.

Vash grinned and nodded.

Neil yawned. "I'd better get going, and so should you three."

"Take care Neil." Meryl said shaking his hand. "Go easy on the cigarettes, they can kill you, you know."

"There are worse ways to die, but I will take care."

He shook Vash's hand and gave him a pat on the back, before leaning towards him. "You're letting your brother have her, are you? That's noble of you." He murmured to him, so the girls couldn't hear.

Vash looked at him in surprise. "Well, not really. It turns out she loves him."

Neil gave him a look of slight alarm, before catching himself and returning to his calm stature. "I guess she does."

Turning to Millie, Neil extended his hand. "Later big girl."

Millie ignored the hand and went for a hug, which clearly threw him and he didn't recover as fast as he normally would. Giving her a slight and awkward hug/pat back they separated.

"Come on Millie, we have to go." Meryl said. Her and Vash were already getting a hold of their Thomas's and were loading the bags on the giant birds.

Millie walked off towards Meryl and Vash and hopped on the Thomas behind Meryl. Digging her heels into the desert beast it started walking out of February, with Vash beside them on the other one. They waved and shouted their final goodbyes to the doctor of February and giving a slight wave back he looked on as they took off into the sea of sand.

"You were right about them again Nick." He said out loud. "They may have way too many problems but they're group I'll never forget."

-

While Millie, Vash and Meryl were just leaving, Knives had just entered the town that was supposed to be empty, but looking around now he saw a few people had gathered in it. They were not the same residents as before but it still irked him.

'Pesky humans. They're like weeds.' He thought. Deciding to leave them be for the moment, he started to walk into the town observing this new set of people, but before he could get too far a group of them surrounded him. 'What's this?' He wondered to himself.

"What?" He asked.

The group gave him a suspicious look. One of the men stepped forward, "What are you doing traveling alone in this day and age?"

Knives took a moment to think. He could easily do away with every single one of them with a blink, if he wished it. Instead he folded his arms and gave off a superior look.

"That really is none of your concern." He said calmly.

Knives watched with amusement as the man's anger rose. "I demand to know who you are! When we arrived here this entire town was completely empty! Do you know what happened to all the people?!"

Knives rolled his eyes. 'So like humans to point fingers at outsiders, granted,' He smirked to himself. 'I _did_ do away with the last residents.' Knives pulled out his long black gun, the one he made himself, the one identical to Vash's.

The men stepped back.

"You don't need to know anything." Knives said quietly.

-

A/N: YAY! I'm done! I hope everyone liked this chapter. So now you know it's a K/M one, very sorry to you V/M fans, but please review and let me know what you think. Let me know how I handled the Vash and Meryl let down and ask questions! I like answering them! Only two more chapters to go and then the "version" of a sequel!

Knives: ::sits down beside Faery:: So, Meryl loves me huh?

Author: Seems that way Knives. What do you plan to do about it?

Knives: ::ponders:: I don't know.

Yours truly,

Faery G.


	10. Change the World

1Fate of Awakening Love

Disclaimer: I don't own Trigun. Life is that cruel.

A/N: Chapter 11! Okay I'm apologizing in advice for Knives' personality (so no flames about it later on). Just having him fall for a human in general makes him OOC but...well, work with it okay? It'll be better if you do. And I promise Knives doesn't get really emotional or anything but he is still OOC. Sorry, I tried.

-

With his gun pointed directly at one man in particular, Knives noticed the others meant to gang up on him from the sides and from behind.

"Just lower your gun." One of the men to the side of him said gently.

Intending to do no such thing, a future scene with Meryl popped in his mind. He could already see her reaction if he were to shoot and kill the surrounding men. He could see her anger and possible disappointment in him. Most of all he knew she'd never forgiven him if he killed another.

'But who cares what she thinks of me?! I could care less if she never spoke to me again. She's just another human, one that will fall in my plan of great destruction.' He thought to himself.

He could vaguely hear the pleas of the men to lower his gun as his mind wasn't focused on them any longer. Meryl was overpowering his every thought, and he didn't like it one bit. 'I already gave her the chance to be by my side and she refused it. She said she didn't want to be with anyone like me, so I don't want to be thinking about her.'

He refocused his gaze on the men and tilted his head to the side, about ready to pull the trigger and let the gun fight begin. As his finger clamped down harder, he felt his sudden release of it. He glanced at his gun and at the men whom he now loathed more than he had before, because he knew he would never kill them. Flipping his gun in his hand he rested it back in its holster and shoved past the men who stared at him in disbelief, as he walked away without a direct word to them. Muttering incoherent swears to himself.

'Damn that woman, getting to me like this.' He swiftly turned back around and pulled out his gun shooting it before he had time to reconsider. The men jumped and yelped. One cried out that he'd been shot, but on closer inspection none of them had been. Knives had completely missed the target. He could see his bullet wedged in between a building.

'Damn her!' He placed the gun back in its rightful place and stalked off. More angry than he had been in the beginning. The men gaped at him in silence.

"He was gonna shoot us," one said quietly.

"I wonder what stopped him?" asked another.

"Who cares? Let's just be sure to stay away from that one," a third man said. They nodded together in mutual agreement.

-

**The next day...**

Riding the Thomas at a trot, with Vash on the other one parallel to them Millie spoke. "What do you think Mr. Knives is doing?" she asked.

"Probably reeking havoc on the unsuspecting." Meryl grimaced.

"You'd think the woman who loved him would have a little more faith in him," Vash responded and Millie gasped.

"Then its official Meryl? You love Mr. Knives?"

Meryl grumbled out a response. Sure she loved him but like he had said long ago, she wasn't exactly happy about it. She wasn't exactly pleased that she had fallen for a murderer and for it to be Knives? Well that was the absolute worst of them. Who knows what her family would say about that one.

"I've got plenty of faith in Knives. There's a good side to him. I know there is, but there's an even larger worse side to him," she said in response to Vash's statement.

'But he is kinder.' She thought to herself. 'He had the opportunity to kill all those people in February, but he didn't. He let them live with only a few scrapes and broken limbs, things that will heal in time.'

She smiled to herself thinking of all the fights she had with Knives during the time of his recovery. He was always so difficult and he was cold to her for a while, but now he'd changed. 'Enough to leave our race alone though?' She thought to herself, unsure of the answer.

While Millie was happily humming to herself, Vash was eyeing Meryl's smile that quickly faded into concern. He had hid his disappointment well. The let down of not being the brother that Meryl chose was weighing him down. He was constantly forcing himself to stay happy on the outside, for her sake and Knives'. He wasn't lying when he had said he wished only for their happiness. If that meant them being together then he understood, he would back down.

But did that mean he'd have to back down for good? He knew his own brother better than Meryl did. She'd figure him out soon enough but for the time being he was the current expert on Knives' thoughts and mannerisms.

'Knives may have softened for Meryl, but he has not softened for the rest of the human specie. Meryl won't want anything to do with him if he doesn't change his ways. Is he willing to drop his beliefs that he's harbored for over 130 years for her?' Vash thought, 'Meryl said Knives only said that he wanted her. Not that he loved her, and those are two very different things.'

Vash looked guiltily away from Meryl and focused his eyes on the town ahead. 'If Knives doesn't change, Meryl could easily be mine. Unfortunately then, the human race would have a bigger chance at being slain...'

He let his guilty thoughts continue. "And even if he did try to wipe them out again, Knives would never kill Meryl, no matter how much he declared he hated her. He would never touch her. I saw that when he left her alone rather then force her on the ground like he did the rest of us in February.'

Vash's mouth dropped open and he stopped the Thomas.

Meryl pulled the reigns of the one she and Millie were riding to look back at Vash. "Vash what's wrong? Why did you stop?" Meryl asked, "we're almost there."

Vash said nothing. 'How could I think that? How could I ever think like that? To conspire as if I were... Knives?!' He shook the unclean thoughts out of his head.

"Mr. Vash?" Millie called out.

"Huh?" He looked up and saw that the girls were both eyeing him strangely. "Oh right, sorry, come on then."

He fell back into step with Meryl and Millie and they continued to trudge into the town that they had left only a month or so ago.

-

Stepping into the town cautiously they looked around. A small gather of people could be seen walking.

"I thought this town was empty?" Vash asked confused.

"It was." Meryl responded equally confused.

"They're not the same people," Millie pointed out. "Maybe they're those people that Vash had seen enter as we took off on the Thomas' weeks ago. Only there's more so maybe they brought their friends and families?

"Who would move into a town that had been void of its original inhabitants? Isn't that a little creepy?" Vash asked.

"Well, at least they won't recognize us." Meryl stated. They hopped off the giant birds and tied them to a post before walking in the town. They found themselves surrounded by the same group of men that had surrounded Knives just the other day.

"And who are you three?" The man who had first challenged Knives asked, holding out his gun.

"Err, I'm Meryl Stryfe and this is, I mean, these are my partner's Millie Thompson and..." She glanced at Vash who looked back at her carefully, "Dr. Neil... we're from the Bernadelli Insurance Agency."

The man lowered his gun. "Bernadelli huh? You were the people who had been tracking Vash the Stampede weren't you?"

"That's us," Meryl said giving off a half relieved, half-forced laugh.

"You're all insane for following that man, but since the bounty's been lifted off of his head what are you all doing out here?"

"Actually..." Meryl exchanged looks with Millie and Vash, "we're looking for someone else. There's no bounty on him but we need to talk to him."

"What's the guy look like?"

Vash answered, "well, sorta like me. But with shorter more lighter hair and with light blue eyes." Then added, "he kinda has a short fuse."

"Oh, him," the man said turning to look at his comrades, "yeah, he just wandered in here the other day. We've been avoiding him. He doesn't seem too stable up in here." The man pointed to his head.

"Do you know where we can find him?" Millie asked disregarding the point the man made concerning Knives' state of mind.

The man looked around the town. "He isn't too social, doesn't seem to like anyone so he stays to himself. Which we all like. I last saw him in the saloon, might want to check there."

Thanking them, Meryl, Millie and Vash proceeded toward the saloon when Millie stopped.

"Millie?" Meryl questioned her.

"Meryl I'm thinking if Mr. Knives is in there he might not be willing to talk to anyone but you. Maybe Mr. Vash and I should wait somewhere else?"

Vash frowned but nodded in agreement.

"Where will you go?" Meryl asked.

"There's a shop around the corner remember? We can look around for a bit, and grab some place to stay. Who knows how long we'll be here," Millie said.

"Okay then," Meryl replied and watched them walk off together.

"Good luck Meryl," Vash called out to her when he and Millie were some ways away.

She nodded her appreciation and walked into the saloon. With the extremely small amount of people that this town now held, she was surprised to see that the saloon was packed with people. There didn't seem to be a single open seat anywhere.

"It would figure that the one place these type of people would come together would be somewhere they could get drunk," she said to herself out loud in annoyance. While the place was overwhelmed with loud drunken talk, she could still hear a soft sweet melody of someone playing the saxophone.

Trying to make out the direction she heard the sound emerging from, she faintly saw a man on the saloon's small stage seated on a stool playing with his eyes closed. He was absorbed in his own music, oblivious to the chaos that was around him.

'He reminds me of someone,' she thought.

'He reminds you of Midvalley the Hornfreak, one of my better Gung- Ho-Guns.' A calm voice had entered her mind, and as she knew of only one person who could do that, she searched the room for Knives.

While looking around for him, she realized she had been surrounded by men breathing their hot sticky, smelly breath on her. She wrinkled her nose in disgust. The stench of beer had multiplied because of them.

"Well aren't you just a pretty little thing," one of the men stated. "Wanna have a drink with us?"

"No thank you," Meryl said firmly.

"Aww come on. We ain't gonna bite," said a smaller, lankier man.

"I'm not interested."

-

Knives was seated in the corner away from Meryl's view, but he had a good view of her. He watched on as she got surrounded by the saloon's drunks.

-

"She thinks she's too good for us," the first man said, exploding into laughter. He stopped abruptly. "You don't think yer too good fer us do ya?" He asked.

"Actually I do. Now if you'd move aside please," Meryl responded getting angrier by the second.

-

Knives yawned and rested his head on his hand, looking lazily on as the scene unraveled more.

-

"Look little missy, We're not gonna be spoken to like that!" The smaller man said.

"That's right, and that's the problem with you woman. Ya'll don't know yer place!" said another. "But I'll put you in it."

He raised his hand getting ready to strike Meryl when she elbowed him in the stomach. As he buckled down to hold his stomach in pain he gave her a surprised look. The look didn't last long as Meryl punched his face in, quickly shaking her hand after.

The others, thrown off by her swift reaction at fighting back didn't move for a moment but quickly regained their drunken wits and lunged at her.

Despite the facts that there were more of them and that they were stronger, Meryl kept in mind that they were also drunk and could not even pronounce words correctly. Elbowing them and kicking them in places the sun didn't quite reach, she pulled out a few of her derringers which she hadn't used in a long time.

A few shots were fired and an array of confusion went on as the other people in the saloon tried to figure out what was going on, and who was pulling the shots. The bar keeper was yelling out commands and by the time the place had stilled Meryl was the middle inhaling deep breaths, clutching two of her derringers at her side. The used ones were discarded on the floor in various places.

The men who had tried to attack her lay motionless on the floor gawking at her. Even though Meryl had shot a number of her guns no one had been hit. The bullets had merely grazed them on places where skin was exposed. The most damage to them was done by her own physical attacks on the men. The bar keeper shouted for the men to get lost and turned to Meryl.

"Are you okay Miss?"

Meryl blew her hair out of her eyes and put the remaining derringers away. She smoothed her outfit and caught her breath. "Yes I'm fine. Sorry about the saloon."

The saloon was, to say in the least, in shambles. The majority of the damage had been created when the drunks had fallen on tables and stools, but a few of Meryl's shots that had grazed the men had whizzed out the windows, breaking them.

"Ugh..." The bar keeper looked at the mess then back at Meryl. "It's okay, those guys had it coming. Can I get you a drink?"

"Oh, uh, just something light?"

"You got it." The bar keeper walked off and Meryl looked at the remaining people. They were still goggling at her and even the sax player had stopped playing to look at the commotion, but once he started to play again the people went back to their conversations as if nothing had happened.

While looking around her eyes fell on a tall blond haired man in the corner. He was looking straight at her, unmoved.

Her jaw dropped as she stomped up to Knives. Once she reached where he sat she shoved him aside and sat in his spot then glanced around. Bewildered, Knives looked at her looking around. She stood back up and Knives returned to the spot she had shoved him out of.

"You could see me perfectly from here couldn't you?!" she finally said. "Were you _going _to help me at all?!"

Knives' eyes dulled as he took a small sip of the wine that was in front of him. "No. You had everything under control, what did you need _my_ help for?"

Meryl's jaw dropped further but she quickly closed her mouth and her eyes narrowed. To Knives' amazement she grabbed him by the shirt and started to shake him violently.

"Because its common courtesy to help someone you care about when they're in trouble!"

Amidst the shaking Knives' demure did not change. "Let go." He stated coldly.

Stunned at the sound of his voice, Meryl stopped shaking him but didn't let him go.

"Your drink Miss."

She turned and saw the bar keeper placing her drink on the table. She released Knives. "Thanks."

"Of course. Did you need anything else sir?" He asked Knives who shook his head and said nothing to him. The bar keeper walked off, leaving them alone in their quiet corner.

Meryl stared at Knives and he stared back and made a gesture to the seat across from him. A sign to sit and she did. He leaned back in his chair.

"How dare you follow me," he said nonchalantly, sipping his wine.

"Vash insisted and I'm not one to disagree with something he desperately wants, and he desperately wants to save you," she responded. 'Why am I lying?' she thought to herself, then answered her own question, 'because you can't bring yourself to tell him that you were worried and wanted to follow him too.'

Knives eyed her, his face void of emotion. She wondered if he had read her thoughts. She could never be sure of when he'd attempt to do it and when he would not. Knives' face didn't change, so she opted in thinking he had left her personal thoughts alone this time.

"My brother is naive. He does not understand what he wants. It was one thing when I was calling for him, but those days are over and I will not be followed," Knives said breaking her thoughts.

"So you _have_ returned back to the way you used to be."

Knives' face broke out in amusement. "Did I change that much?"

Meryl nodded slightly. "When Vash first brought you back you were cold, menacing and unfriendly. We figured you were planning something, but we could not figure out what. As I started to look after you, you slowly began to soften and I felt whatever you had been plotting previously you had abandoned."

"I softened you say?" Knives asked shifting his head to the side.

Meryl began to hear a sudden grouping of gasping and choking. Looking around she saw that all the people in the saloon were the ones making the sounds. Even the sax player had dropped his instrument and was trying to regain his breath. It was more than obvious to Meryl that every single one of them was suffocating.

"Let them go Knives!" She demanded, turning back to the plant who had caused this.

She watched as Knives narrowed his eyes. "You are not to give me orders. I hold their tiny human lives in my palm and you have the nerve to act rash toward me?!" For some reason he laughed.

As he did the suffering of the people around them increased and some even fell dead or unconscious, Meryl wasn't sure. All the while Knives had stopped his laughter and had taken to drinking his red wine in contentment. As if he was blind to what was going on around him.

'These people, they're going to die if they don't get some air soon! How can I stop him?!' She thought.

Not thinking particularly hard Meryl stood and walked directly in front of him, realizing these people did not have a lot of time left. Knives looked up at her curiously. 'What's she going to do?' He thought casually.

"Stop it!" She said clenching her teeth together in anger before laying a cold hard slap across his face. "Stop it right now Knives... just stop. Please."

Her anger quickly faded as she became aware of the deafening silence that closed in on her. Forgetting about the others in the bar, Meryl gazed at Knives.

"Why have you reverted? I vaguely understand why and I want an explanation, because I won't allow you to hurt any more people."

Knives sat unmoved, his face still turned away from her. Frozen in place from Meryl's slap. He neither said nor thought anything.

"... I know you may not believe me after our last encounter, but... a very large part of me does not care what you have done in the past. As long as you're living, there is still plenty of time to change. Maybe you don't have to be so in love with things like Vash is, but you don't have to go around killing and trying to wipe out my specie either." Meryl told him quietly, sitting back down across from him slowly.

Knives said nothing for a few moments. "I always believed all humans were alike. That all they were was a more powerful pesticide, killing everything in their paths. Then I met you. You seemed a little different from the others. You intrigued me more than I could understand, more than I wanted. I watched you closely. You were not wasteful and while I sensed a sliver of fear from you toward me, you were good at hiding it. You're more than anything I envisioned a human being could be. Unlike Rem you didn't constantly spout opinionated bullshit and you did not seem like a person I could easily break given the chance. Yet at the same time you were fragile. You can be loud, overbearing, impatient and a right pain in the neck."

Knives paused at this noticing he may have hit a nerve in her but he continued on.

"And still you are quiet, thoughtful, calm and generous. Even after I had convinced myself you were better off with Vash and no better than any other spider my mind did not cease in thinking of you. You're mystifying to me and yet you're easy to figure out. That is why, despite all, I still want you."

Meryl sat still, speechless for a few moments. "Knives, I..." She trailed off. She knew what she wanted to say, but to actually say it? 'I can't, not yet.' She thought.

Knives looked at her for a little while. "Do you understand now why I have reverted, as you say?"

Meryl made no reply.

Knives took the last remaining sips of his red wine and stood. "Because I cannot have you and it's not good to suppress anger."

Not caring, or wanting to hear a response Knives walked out of the bar leaving Meryl in a dazed fog. She barely noticed the people that were coming to around her. They shook their heads as they tried to figure out what had happened. Not wishing to be questioned, Meryl made her subtle leave after Knives. By the time she had emerged out of the saloon he was nowhere in sight.

-

A/N: Yup. Please read and review! Actually you know, I find it kind of odd that I (and other writers on ) say to _read_ and review. Obviously you've read the story so I guess all I want you all to do is review.

Knives: What'll you do once FoAL is over with?

Author: Focus on Silent Pretense and Prerogative. The story in which you Knives, win the final battle!

Knives: _I'll_ win?! (laughs eerily)

Author: (eyes him) err, yeah...

Yours Truly,

Faery Goddyss

Oh, by the way- check my profile every so often on updates on my stories.


	11. Affections Across Time, Part I

Fate of Awakening Love

Disclaimer: I don't own Trigun. Life is that cruel.

A/N: Last chapter! Can you believe it took me over a bloody **year** to write this?! Jeez, props to all you fans that stayed with me from the beginning.

Remember! Knives WILL be slightly OOC, but I pride myself in thinking he's not too bad, and that if he were ever to feel this way it could go something like I've described him. Read on!

* * *

_Affections Across Time, Part I_

Later that night in a an inn that wasn't far from the saloon where Knives and Meryl had been talking, she lay with her arm covering her eyes on the couch. Millie and Vash were sitting in separate chairs directly across from the couch. None of them said a word and the only thing breaking the silence of the room was the ticking of the grandfather clock that stood near the entry way.

"Maybe he doesn't know where to find us," Millie spoke quietly.

Vash opened his mouth to respond but Meryl beat him to it. "It's Knives, Millie, if he wanted to find us he could. Nothing is stopping him."

After Knives' disappearance from the saloon Meryl hadn't bothered to look for the missing plant. She knew in his mood there would be no point, and besides their talk had tired her out. She was left in bewilderment and a little heart broken that she hadn't had the nerve to tell Knives how she truly felt.

It was now seven hours past that talk, and they still heard nothing from Vash's twin. The first couple hours of his absence had been spent talking together like old times, not even worrying. But a few hours turned into double that and the worry had started to trickle in.

Not that any of them were worried that he was in trouble, but worried that he had taken off again, and this time if he decided to do just that they had no clues on where he would be heading. Meryl had already relayed to her friends what had been spoken between the two of them. Leaving out the part of her being attacked.

Meryl was the first to stand. "Well there's no point in waiting like this. I'm going to take a shower, I could use the hot water."

Both nodded but remained seated and watched as Meryl disappeared into the tiny bathroom. They didn't speak until they heard the unmistakable sounds of falling water.

"Are you sure you'll be alright?" Millie asked.

Vash nodded and stood, stretching his limbs as he did. "Yeah, I'll be fine. Both of them are stubborn. They'd rather see the end of life before confronting each other after that last talk."

"So its agreed then? You'll find Mr. Knives and talk to him, and I'll talk to Meryl?"

"Right."

"How are you going to find him, do you know where he is?"

"No, but there are ways for me to easily get in touch with my brother. I better get going before Meryl steps out and tries to stop me." Vash began heading towards the door. Just about to open it Millie's soft voice penetrated him for a moment.

"I know it hurts Mr. Vash not being the one Meryl chose, but its very noble of you to go after your brother for her, and Meryl will love you all the more for it."

Vash didn't say anything, but nodded slightly before closing the door behind him. Ignoring the wind that picked up the desert sand, brushing his face, Vash walked through the silent town towards the outskirts. The only viewable light and noise came from the saloon. Going against his better judgement he re-traced his steps and quickly spilled down a liter of the rancid liquor before headed back out.

He knew, that if he was to talk to his brother without any repercussions he would need the slight influence of alcohol. Walking father into the desert outside the town Vash stopped a moment and looked around.

'This looks a good a place as any.' Taking a deep breath to calm his nerves, Vash tried his best to clear his mind of all images, sounds, and smells. He gently ordered his brain to ignore the trivial motions of nature and to focus all cells on locating Knives. Vash concentrated, "feeling" around for his brothers thoughts, movements, anything that would reveal his whereabouts.

Vash caught a glimpse of something black. A black gun, before his own thoughts turned the same shade. He felt himself fall, his body preparing for the inevitable and unstoppable, but he realized he had fallen into a warmth. Glancing up he saw a fuzzy reflection of himself before blacking out completely.

-

Millie paced back and forth in the main area of the small inn they were staying at. The place only had this one room with a connected bedroom, bathroom and tiny kitchen. They got it pretty cheap considering few people passed through this town. Millie felt it had something to do with the inn keeper recognizing Vash's spiked blonde hair.

The days of him being an outlaw were over, but there would always be that lingering fear from people, that maybe, just maybe he wasn't as harmless as he appeared and acted.

Millie jumped when Meryl walked in, a bit flush from the hot water. She gave her tall friend a queer look.

"What is it?" Meryl asked, but then not allowing Millie to answer she continued. "Where did Vash go?"

"Oh, to find Mr. Knives."

Meryl's shoulders slumped as she gazed at her friend. "Why? How can he anyway? If Knives doesn't want to found he wont be found."

"Mr. Vash said that he had his ways. Meryl can I talk to you for a second?"

Realizing what Millie was getting at, Meryl proceeded into the small kitchen and began taking out various pots and pans, ignoring Millie's request.

She heard her sigh. "Meryl, what if he never came back?"

Meryl stopped momentarily, but proceeded with what she was doing by talking out food from the equally tiny fridge. "Who, Vash? That man will always come back."

Millie, barely fitting into the kitchen with Meryl already inside, placed a gentle hand on her friends hand. Stopping her from trying to distract herself. "You know who I mean." Meryl was facing the wall above the stove, her head lifted slightly as if she was trying to hold tears in, but Millie knew her friend wasn't crying. It was her exasperation at work.

"Well what am I supposed to do Millie? He's not here, and even if he was he wouldn't be talking to me."

"You don't know that."

Meryl suddenly turned to face her friend, one hand clenched to her side, the other clutching a ladle, her face accusing. "You didn't see his face Millie. Oh yes, I did my best to explain and describe what happened, to you and Vash but it cant make up for the true emotion that plagued his face. He wants nothing to do with me. He's eyes made that perfectly clear."

"I don't believe that for a second Meryl. Mr. Knives loves you."

Meryl turned back to busying herself. "I wish you and Vash would stop saying that. He loves nothing. That man, that plant-" Millie noticed her friend spitted out her words in fury. "Loves nothing and no one. Except his idea of Eden. Eden! One which doesn't include me... that complete bastard..."

Meryl continued to speak harshly of Knives while Millie sighed and returned to the living quarters. It would be best to let Meryl get all this out before she tried to talk to her friend any more.

'I hope you're doing better Mr. Vash.' Millie thought.

-

"Mmm..," Vash stirred awake rubbing his eyes slightly, groaning softly from the pain that was left in his head.

"Don't ever try to do that again," came Knives' crystal clear, commanding voice.

Vash sat up, realizing he had been laying in the sand beside his brother, who was seated to his right.

"What happened?" He murmured.

"You tried to reach me through some twisted form of telepathic communication. Only you've never done it before and since I was so far away it resulted in your own pain. Now then, since when have you been interested in that? I thought you had rejected such forms of communications."

Vash who was getting slightly dizzy, didn't answer his brother as he tried to shake it off the spinning.

"Psh. A human method. Stop shaking your head, it'll only make it worse. Take your eyes and focus on something directly ahead of us."

"Are you sure?" Vash's words slurred a bit, from his intake of liquor that hadn't completely left his body and from the dizzying sights.

"I've had this ability for a long time, of course I'm sure!" Knives barked out.

Vash did as was suggested, or rather, told of him, and picked a faraway object that appeared to be a boulder half covered in sand. Within moments the dizziness passed.

Vash murmured his approval and turned to face his twin who was staring absent mindedly at the night sky. "Why didn't you come back to the inn? We all know you could have found us. Meryl is worried about you."

Vash heard his brother grunt something to himself, something regarding suffocation but he continued. "I think we should head back."

"Go on then, but I am not going back with you."

Vash looked at Knives carefully. He looked as if he had been thinking this over. "Don't be ridiculous you have to come back."

"And why is that?"

"Because... you have Meryl to consider now."

"I what?" Knives asked dully, finally meeting this brothers eyes.

Vash and his Knives studied each other a moment before they both turned back to the wasteland a head of them.

"Don't do this Knives. She chose you and she loves you. Go be with her."

"Loves me," Knives released a fake laugh. "That human had her chance. She can rot for all I-" Knives was cut off by Vash's fist.

Stunned for only a moment Knives, thinking how similar Vash and Meryl were, he whipped his head back over to his other half's. "_What_, was that for?!"

Knives was surprised to see his brother was holding a sad smile on his lips. "For being stupid. Is it so hard Knives, to admit that you love her back? Don't you realize I'd give anything to be in the same place as you? To have her love _me_?"

"Then take her."

"Do you want me to hit you again?" Vash asked, his good nature returning.

Knives eyed his brother. "Supposing I did love her, do you see such a thing working? I, Millions Knives with a human. The idea is disgusting to my own ears. I can hardly tolerate the thought of it." Vash watched Knives shake his head to himself, lost in thought. "What would become of such a relationship anyway? In case you have forgotten _dear brother _I want her race dead. Consumed by ashes if I need attempt such a thing."

"Everyone has an exception to their personal rules."

"I could care less, besides her death date is far closer than mine."

Vash couldn't hide the surprise in his face. "Is this why you're being so stubborn? You don't want to go to her, or admit what you feel because she'll die before you?"

Knives said nothing in response.

"You really do love Meryl," Vash breathed out softly.

"Stop saying that," Knives responded quietly.

The two brothers sat in silence for awhile, watching a few thin clouds roll along. "You'd still have plenty of time to be with her."

"No, Vash."

"... then at least say goodbye properly. Dont think you can just walk away from her."

"And who's to stop me? You?" Knives scoffed.

"Why not, I stopped you before, what's to stop me from doing it again?"

The brothers turned to meet gazes again. One carrying a slight smile of superiority over his twin, and the other with a deep frown. Vash stood.

"Let's go then Knives. Meryl is waiting."

Against his will Knives stood and together the two walked through the desert and back to the little town where the girls were finishing their own conversation.

-

Once Millie had retreated to the main room, Meryl stopped her pointless scurrying to get a meal cooked, in order to go over what Millie had been telling her.

_'Mr. Knives loves you.'_

She made a scornful face. 'He doesn't Millie, if he did why would he take off like this, without telling me where he was going? He's too selfish to love anyone but himself. And after all I did for him too! Taking immediate care of him, looking out for him, putting up with his disrespectful manner! All those names he called me!'

Meryl calmed herself when she noticed she had bent the metal stirring stick in her hand. Tossing it in to the garbage she grabbed another and began furiously stirring the stew that was brewing in a large pot.

'He said he wants me and does things like this! I'd be better off with Vash.' Meryl stopped stirring to contemplate such an idea. 'It's just too bad I love that mean spirited plant.' She sighed to herself but began to clench the stick in her hand. She suddenly slapped her hand down on the perpendicular counter. "You have better come back Knives!" She yelled out loud.

Millie suddenly hurried back into the room, obviously hearing the outburst. She smiled triumphantly. "So you do still care! Don't worry Meryl, I'm sure Mr. Vash wont return empty handed."

Meryl sighed and recovered herself from her outburst. "I'm sure he wont either Mill-" Meryl stopped in mid-sentence when she looked out the side window. Two figures could be seen walking in the dark towards them. A single set of twin brothers. Millie noticed what Meryl was looking at.

"I'll take over from here Meryl, you go on outside alright?"

Meryl nodded numbly, suddenly getting nervous. Her earlier confident bashing thoughts of him leaving her mind. Walking slowly towards the door, she took a deep breath before opening the door. Vash had been laughing cheerfully, and Knives was scowling.

'Everything seems normal.' She thought, smiling to herself, not being able to take her eyes off of Knives' face. He was looking at Vash like he was a complete nut case. Then as if feeling her gaze his head drifted from Vash's laughing face and fell on her own. His face instantly became a blank.

Vash, seeming to realize the tension, looked over and caught his own gaze at Meryl standing in the doorway. He looked back and forth at the two, his face becoming grim. He quickly picked up his pace, passing that of his brothers and walked past Meryl. "I'll see you two inside later," he murmured to her before stepping inside and closing the door behind him.

-

Millie looked up from her cooking and glanced at who had entered the door. "Are they outside?"

"Yeah." Vash leaned against the closed door, his face solemn.

"Do you want to help with dinner?" Millie asked with a small smile on her face.

Vash looked at the pot Millie was stirring in. "Okay."

-

A/N: Oops, so the chapter ends here. ::dodges the tomatoes being thrown::, hey come on now! I didn't know the concluding chapter would be this long! So the next chapter will be Affections Across Time Part II. Please read and review!

Author: Ah, Knives. ::latches on to him sobbing:: One last chapter and then you wont be mine anymore!

Knives: If it means getting rid of you, I'm all for it.

Author: That's just mean! :(

Yours truly,

Faery Goddyss


	12. Affections Across Time Part II

Fate of Awakening Love

Disclaimer: I don't own Trigun. Life is that cruel.

A/N: Okay, real technical ending. Wow, its done...

* * *

_Affections Across Time, Part II_

Meryl and Knives avoided each other's looks. Knives watched as she sat down on the porch steps. He preferred to stand, and did so, leaning against the frame of the porch.

"I'm taking off."

Meryl's head snapped up. "What, why?"

"Why not? I'm not Vash, I won't and can't stay in the presence of humans. I had a goal I wanted to accomplish before I was brought here. I'm going to follow through with it."

"I see." Meryl looked down at her hands. "Can I know when our genocide is going to take place, so I can say my goodbyes to my family and friends?" She asked bitterly.

Knives looked down at the small woman. Feeling this, she looked up to meet his eyes. "I'm not going to extinguish your people."

"You just said,-"

"I know what I said." Knives interjected. "I meant I was going to follow through with Paradise. It won't be done anywhere near human terrain and therefore I must leave."

"Then... then you've changed your mind? You're not going to end all our lives?" Meryl asked surprised.

"No."

'At least not while you're alive.' Knives thought, but decided to keep that little bit to himself. He was ready to spare the race he hated strictly for Meryl's sake, but eventually her short human lifespan would run out and then his plans would continue as if they had never stopped.

'And when that happens, Vash won't stop me.'

He stopped his thoughts when he realized Meryl was staring at him. "What?"

"Thank you."

"For what?"

"For letting us live, for allowing us to live out our lives as we try to make up for our past mistakes."

"I could care less about the other humans, I'm only stopping for you." Knives rolled his eyes to the sky when he realized what he had said. He noticed Meryl's eyes lit up and he darted his own to the side, the faintest coloring emerging from his cheeks.

"In any case," he cleared his already clear throat. "Vash made me come back to tell you in person I was leaving. So..." Knives erected himself and turned to the confused Insurance girl. "I'll be leaving."

Already walking off Meryl sat on the porch frozen in place. When he was already a good distance ahead she collected herself and ran after him. "Wait!"

Knives stopped to look at her, slight anger in his face. "What the hell are you doing? Go back to my brother."

"What?" Meryl exhaled. Knives had been farther ahead than she thought.

"After all," Knives continued as if he hadn't heard her. "He loves you."

Meryl swallowed a lump in her throat. "I know, he's already told me."

Knives gave a smirk. "Then you two ought to go galloping off into the sunsets, for a perfect human ending."

Beginning to get annoyed with the plants assumptions Meryl put her hands on her hips. "That's-"

"You've made some choice. My brother, the epitome of whining and complaints..." Knives groaned inwardly.

' _She chose you and she loves you,_' Vash's words echoed in Knives head, but he still could not believe them.

Knives gave a defeated sigh. "I suppose we both know I'm lying. Vash, for someone who has the intelligence of pebble is...good."

"I know. Vash has a good heart."

"He's a great brother." Knives thought a moment on what he had revealed to Meryl. "And if you are to ever tell him what I said about him I'll go back on what I said about not killing humans."

"I won't say anything." Meryl replied softly.

"Good."

Watching as Knives plopped down on the sand she heard him mumble.

"...Damn."

Questioning what had gotten to him, she said nothing but sat down beside him. He gave her a faintly irritated look, but such looks from Knives didn't perturb her in the least anymore. It's just how he was and she had learned to love him despite.

"What are you doing?" He asked her, once she had gotten comfortable on the cold sandy ground.

"Can't I sit here?"

"No."

Not taken aback, she didn't move. "Sorry you feel that way."

'She's turning me into some sort of...Vash. No one would have dared talk to me like this in the past, nor would I have let them.' Knives thought, eyeing her with a certain amount of disdain.

'Hm,' Meryl mused. 'The same night sky I looked at with Vash ages ago...' She released a sigh that Knives caught.

He began to study her even more closely.

'How am I going to do this? Knives is so hostile, so untrusting.'

Without getting the courage she needed, Meryl continued to look at the night sky, more than aware of light blue eyes boring into her side profile. "Yes?" She asked him.

"Are you going to sit here all night?"

"... If you are. You know it's interesting Knives, how we both receive our information through Vash. Because he thinks you love me. Millie too."

"Who cares where your human companion is concerned. And Vash thinks a lot of things, many being false."

"Is that?"

When Knives didn't answer Meryl continued. "I don't love Vash Knives, I did once, but it faded."

_'She chose you and she loves you.'_

'I won't love a human. I refuse to.' Knives stood abruptly, brushing off the sand that had started to gather on his clothing.

"Try again. If there is one thing my brother deserves, its you. Give my brother a goodbye for me will you?"

Meryl hastily stood, her anger staring to boil. "You're still going to leave! Just, stay Knives!"

Knives looked to his hands giving off a distracted look Meryl found to be intolerable. "Fine."

Her anger melted.

"Just give me a reason to stay and maybe I'll consider it."

Meryl paused. "No."

"No?"

"You shouldn't need a reason from me to stay. If you want to stay it should be on your own accord not because I beg or bribe you too. That is something that won't be done. If you really want to go, then go. I wouldn't want to stop you if your _Paradise_ calls out to you." With that Meryl turned on her heel and headed back to the inn where Vash and Millie were.

Knives watched her go, not the least bit surprised at her reaction. When she reached the door she turned to give the plant one last look. But he turned away and walked into the dark desert.

Both Meryl and Millie jumped when Meryl came in, slamming the door behind her. They watched as she ignored their presence and walked into the bedroom, slamming that as well. Giving each other confused looks, both Millie and Vash turned their heads to the front door, expecting Knives to come in, just as angry or at least annoyed. When moments passed and he didn't enter the room, Millie bit her lip.

"Maybe you should go talk to her?" Millie asked.

"Me? Don't you think in this sort of situation, the best friend would be preferred?"

"We're all best friends here Mr. Vash, besides I have to watch the soup. She may be hurting now but she'll only be furious if she doesn't have something to eat her sorrows away with later on." Millie let a little laugh fall from her lips. "Go on, Mr. Vash."

Vash got up grudgingly and knocked lightly on the door. "Meryl?" He called out to her. When she didn't respond he knocked again. "I'm going to come in all right?" Vash walked into the room slowly just in case Meryl was changing. When he opened the door fully he saw she was typing furiously on on her typewriter.

"Meryl what are you doing?" He asked confused at her actions. He had expected to find her fuming, maybe even crying a little but she looked completely... normal.

"Writing Bernadelli, we've ignored their order to return for too long. But now that everything is back to normal Millie and I will have to return, that is if we still have jobs. You're more than welcome to come along with us Vash."

"But, what about my brother? Where is he?"

Meryl stopped her typing to look up at Vash from where she was sitting at her desk. "He couldn't find a reason to stay. He did tell me to tell you he said goodbye though." For a moment, Vash saw the saddness that were on the edges of her eyes, but she turned back to face her work. Rereading all she had written.

"He actually left?" Vash asked more to himself.

"He actually left." Meryl repeated Vash's words, finding them to be the most appropriate

"...Well, what are you going to do?"

"I already told you Vash. Millie and I need to head back to the main office of Bernardelli."

"That isn't what I meant, I meant what are you going to do about Knives?"

"There isn't anything I can do." Meryl stopped going over her work. "He's the one that decided to leave." Meryl would have continued but was caught off guard when she felt strong arms wrap around her.

"It's okay to be sad Meryl. You don't have to pretend around me."

Meryl didn't say anything in response but allowed a few held back tears to drop down her cheeks. "I shouldn't have allowed myself to fall for someone like him. It's only natural it would end up like this. Don't you think so Vash?"

Vash tightened his grip around her before letting go. "You and Knives are exactly the same. Neither of you want to admit what you're feeling. Just say you miss him and that you'd wish he come back. He isn't around to hear it."

Not meeting Vash's careful gaze, Meryl looked out the window and Vash left, knowing she'd need some time alone.

"... I miss you Knives, and I love you. I wish you would come back." She whispered to herself, not knowing Vash had heard every word. Smiling to himself he walked back into the living room, seeing that Millie had begun to set the table.

"How did it go?"

"Well, I think. Knives may have left but he'll be back, once he stops pretending he doesn't care, he'll be back."

"You seem happy."

"I am. Don't know why. Meryl was writing up a letter to your boss, saying you'd be coming back."

Millie nodded. "We had talked about returning eventually. We can't keep playing hooky for too long!" Millie grinned.

"She invited me along."

"Really? That's great Mr. Vash! You could maybe even join Bernardelli, well maybe not," she said when she saw Vash's face. "But at least you'd be with us!"

"Yeah..." Vash thought for a moment. "But I don't think I'll go along."

"Why not? It isn't because of Mr. Knives and Meryl is it?"

"No, but I've been wandering for so long, I don't know how content I'd be with stopping right now. No, I think I'd like to visit Marianne, and see Kite as well. Neil too."

"We have met a lot of people in the past months of traveling together." Millie murmured to herself. "I do wonder how some of them are doing. Especially Dr. Neil, he was so funny." Millie mused to herself.

"That's how I've been feeling, so I think I'll do that for awhile. Then maybe, if the offer still stands I'll come to Bernardelli?"

"Mr. Vash, that offer will never expire." Millie smiled, and Vash smiled back.

Meryl eventually came out of the bedroom and ate the stew alongside Millie and Vash, but she said very little and immediately went to sleep. The next morning they quickly packed up their belongings and headed in the direction of Bernardelli. Vash had decided to see them there before going on his own direction. They reached the main city of Gunsmoke within a few days and Meryl and Millie quickly resumed their roles as Claim Investigators, office style.

After a few weeks Vash decided that he ought to be on his way. He met up with the girls on their lunch break near the city's main fountain.

"I never thought I'd see the day when this would happen. A real goodbye." Meryl gave the former outlaw a hug, something she had gotten over after the first few awkward times.

"Not really goodbye, you'll see me again soon."

"We'd better Mr. Vash," Millie responded cheerfully, getting her own hug when Meryl and Vash parted.

None of them had talked of Knives' absence since the day Meryl and Vash had talked. Instead, they moved on, not wanting to mention him in front of Meryl. She was more or less back to her normal self, but there were still unexplained times when she seemed close to breaking down. Vash and Millie had taken to be more gentle with her than they ever thought they would need to be with the normally strong woman.

"Guess I'll see you insurance girls soon then!"

Both Millie and Meryl nodded at grinned at the name that Vash had ceased calling them months ago.

"Take care Vash," they said together.

Waving as he walked backwards, the girls waved back cheerfully watching their close friend depart.

"Tell Neil we said hello!" Meryl called out.

"And don't forget to let us know how you're doing every once in awhile!" Millie added loudly.

They could see Vash, in the distance laughing but nodding, just as they turned to go back inside they saw Vash stop next to a figure they couldn't quite make out.

"Who is that?" Meryl asked questioning Millie who shrugged. "Probably someone curious about Vash."

Meryl nodded in agreement and watched Millie walk inside, hesitantly wondering if she should follow. While in the main city, Vash wasn't nearly as feared as he was in the smaller towns. The bigger cities, such as this one, were more than aware of the false rumors that been about Vash. They had openly accepted the outlaw, more curious about how he could dodge bullets than of his former past as the Humanoid Typhoon.

Vash smiled at the faded images of the insurance girls. He'd come back, they knew he would. They were family now. Never would he feel that sense of loneliness again. If it ever threatened to consume him, he'd rush back to the girls to be sure he still had people who cared about his well being.

Walking past another man, Vash bumped into him hard. He turned to face the man, ready to apologize when his apology got stuck in his throat. "Knives?"

Vash's twin's eyes gave his brother a cold look. "Watch where you're going." He seethed out.

"Hmph." Vash smiled, reveling in the fact that even in Meryl's case Knives didn't change that much. Which he preferred actually. It was who his brother was and he had learned to accept him the way he was. Arrogant and all.

"She's in the large building ahead, and actually...," Vash peered back over in the direction he had left. "I think she's still standing outside. She must recognize you, even from this far away."

Knives didn't say anything, and Vash could feel his internal clock telling him to pick up his pace.

"Well, be good to her."

"Don't lecture me."

"I'm serious Knives. You may have her now, but I'll always be in your shadow, waiting for the moment you screw up so I can move in on the woman we both love."

Knives gave his brother an astounded look, clearly taken aback by Vash's demure. "That sounded like something I would say."

"We're more alike than either of us took credit for. Anyway, see you Knives." Knives watched for a moment as his brother took off, only faintly curious of where he was off to. He had more pressing matters on his hands. Like that of a certain petit raven haired woman who was still peering curiously in his direction.

Meryl knew it before she saw him. It was Knives. She'd recognize that walk of superiority anywhere. She met the plant halfway.

"Knives." She stated the obvious not exactly knowing what to say, as her heart did a small flip.

Knives raised his arm and gave the back of his neck a slight rub. "...yeah. Nice outfit."

Meryl finally got a hold of her emotions and looked down at her skirt and blouse, the Bernardelli uniform. "What are you doing back here? We hadn't heard from you in weeks."

"I told you I was going off to create the Eden I had always longed for, weren't you listening?" Knives asked clearly annoyed.

"Don't give me that attitude Knives I was just asking, trying to make polite conversation!" Meryl snapped.

Knives looked down, a bit of hatred blazing through his eyes. But while the hatred burned there was still the soft light in his eyes. A sort of iridescent glow that Meryl know he had shown no one but herself. But refusing to be the first one to back down, Meryl glared back at the tall plant.

'The highest form of evil, the one I love, has only a soft spot for me.' She couldn't help thinking.

"Say it out loud." Knives suddenly said.

Meryl looked at him appalled that he would read her thoughts during such a moment. 'No morals.' She thought, hoping he _had _read that thought.

"I won't believe it unless I hear it come from your voice." Knives told her, his voice holding a slight amount of gentleness.

Meryl turned away embarrassed. 'I want to,' she thought. 'But I won't be ordered to do so.' Noticing a slight shift in Knives' eyes Meryl looked back to the fallen plant angel and felt herself being drawn to his iridescent glow that burned brighter than his look of hate. The light in his eyes were hypnotic and she only felt a feeble urge to resist.

Her small lips came in contact with that of Knives'. The kiss warmed her body considerably and Knives felt a melting in his own plant anatomy, but the alien emotion caused him to break away from Meryl abruptly.

Meryl looked up at him, gauging his reaction. Knives didn't seem to know what to make of the situation and Meryl realized she didn't either.

But he quickly examined her and confirmed what she felt, what she wouldn't say. That she did in fact love him. 'Fine then, I don't have to hear it right now,' he thought to himself. And as he was doing this Meryl did the same. Examining what she knew about Knives and coming up to the conclusion that he loved her as well.

They both knew what the other felt, it was inevitable they figure it out eventually, but given their personalities it was probably best left unsaid for the time being. Meryl refused to say it as Knives expected it of her, and Knives couldn't see himself admitting such a thing.

Millie looked down the windows from the upper story that she was on. She smiled to herself as she witnessed Knives' and Meryl's kiss. From the altitude she was at she could still make out the faint outline of Vash and he too seemed to have seen the moment shared between his brother and Meryl. Millie laughed happily to herself and returned to her desk while Vash nodded his approval, continuing his journey into the desert sands of Gunsmoke.

Things were finally as they should be.

_End_

* * *

A/N: I thought long and hard about how I wanted Knives' final personality to be like. Most of all no matter how much I thought Knives loves Meryl I think he hates the human race even more, so I couldn't stop him from committing his dream and passion. A world without humans! But even though I kinda wanted Knives and Meryl to be all over each other, I thought better of it. Thanks for all the reviews!

Always,  
Faery Goddyss


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